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August 13, 2005

Transylvania

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When I started in cinema in the 1970s, I didn’t think I would make films about my past, or about my people. I only wanted to get close to beautiful women.
- Tony Gatlif

Gypsy film-maker and winner of the best director Palme d'Or for Exils, Tony Gatlif clearly had a better understanding of the full ramifications of those high school career counselling sessions than I did. Gatlif is set to direct super-goddess Asia Argento in Transylvania. Few details on the project as of yet but any combination of words including "Argento" and "Transylvania" sounds promising.

Gatlif runs his hand through his hair and pauses for a moment, barely containing his rage: ‘Last year in Transylvania an entire village of Gypsies, 40 houses, was burned to the ground. Five people died and the rest took shelter in the forest, living there for a week, before other Gypsies took them away. This came after a dispute with a neighbouring village of non-Gypsies. They burned their houses and chased them into the forest.’

What did the Romanian authorities do? ‘Nothing – why should they? The Gypsies have no political power. To be seen to be helping them would be turned against any government. And not only in Romania, it’s the same everywhere in Eastern Europe. In Romania, in Turkey, in Hungary, there are no human rights for Gypsies. People can do what they want to them.’

Posted by Ghost of a flea at August 13, 2005 12:23 PM

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