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Constructing the 'Celluloid Gypsy': Tony Gatlif and Emir Kusturica's 'Gypsy films' in the context of New Europe

2007; Liverpool University Press; Volume: 17; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3828/rs.2007.7

1757-2274

Nikolina Dobreva,

Diversity and Impact of Dance

This article undertakes a comparative analysis of Tony Gatlif 's and Emir Kusturica's 'Gypsy films' in order to trace their construction of the image of the 'Gypsy' and its social and political implications, specifically with reference to each director's ethnicity, his popular success, and his audience's expectations. Several important aspects of identity and ethnic representation are addressed in the process. While previous research has focused on the significance of realism and authenticity when constructing ethnic representation in film, this article questions the relevance of the two in the case of Romani representation, and situates the representational debate within the context of the European Union and the issues relevant to the creation of a specifically European identity.