Time of the Gypsies (15)

Director: Emir Kusturica
Starring: Davor Dujmovic, Bora Todorovic, Ljubica Adzovic
Yugoslavia, 1989, 2 hours 22 minutes

In a muddy Yugoslav shantytown, a wedding party push the drunken bridegroom home in a wheelbarrow to the sound of the bride showering him with curses. This is the gypsy world of the telekinetic Perhan, a gormless lad who drifts through life playing the accordion and taking his pet turkey to the movies. To raise money to marry his childhood sweetheart he leaves for Italy where he soon learns the ‘traditional’ life skills of begging, stealing and pimping on the streets of Milan. With its precise observation of gypsy life, amazing images and stunning performances by a cast of mostly Romany non-professionals, this extraordinary film explores the music and mystical force of Romany culture with a wild and crazy energy.

Winner of the Best Director Award, Cannes Film Festival 1989

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