Musical travelogue of the Gypsy life comes to HMB Friday

Latcho Drom ("Safe Journey") (103 minutes ) is a celebration of Gypsy music from a French director with Rom (Gypsy) roots, at this month’s Coastside Film Society Film Night in Half Moon Bay. The documentary film uses no narration, preferring to let the pictures and the music speak for themselves.  Listen closely and the music will reveal how the Rom changed as they migrated from their ancestral home in India through Egypt, Turkey and up into Europe.

In India the music remains light and romantic. In Egypt it absorbs elements from Muslin prayer.  Southern France provides us with the wild Romany jazz popularized by Django Reinhardt.  In Romania and Germany the music turns darker, reflecting the harsh treatment Rom’s have long encountered here.

The film’s journey takes place over a year’s time and each piece of music reflects the season it comes from. Director Tony Gatlif holds his camera on the elemental essentials of Rom life: water, fire, beasts of burden and of sustenance, colorful clothes, jewelry, musical instruments, song, and dance. Throughout, via song and dance, young and old celebrate, embody, and teach the cultural values of family, journey, love, separateness, and persecution.

In this film "Music is everywhere—children barely able to walk dance alongside great-grandmothers.  Wordless stories abound, told in the smiles of strangers waiting for a train or in the frowns of rifle-toting farmers come to evict travelers from their land." Grant Balfour, Amazon.com

The film was recommended to us by the world class musicologist and independent film-maker, Yasha Aginsky, who will be on hand to discuss why the thinks this is such a wonderful film.

More info on the programs of the film and the Society at: http://www.HMBFILM.org

Friday, Jan 12, 8 pm
Community United Methodist Church Sanctuary
77 Miramontes (corner of Johnston) Half Moon Bay
Donation: $6.00