Tony Gatlif, whose Latcho Drom (1993) is one of cinema’s greatest musicals, won the directorial prize at Cannes for Exils, which is equally stunning. Gatlif, a Frenchman, is of Romany and Algerian descent. Whereas the earlier film leaned on his Romany descent, Exils leans on his Algerian descent. Whereas Latcho Drom traces the historical trek of the people we call Gypsies from India through Europe, Exils journeys in reverse, from adopted homeland to ancestral homeland. A young Parisian couple, both of Algerian descent, make their way “back” to Algeria.
When Zano first proposes the adventure to her, Naïma laughs at the proposal; yet she will be at least as moved by their “return” to Algeria as Zano is. “I am a stranger everywhere,” she sadly notes early on in Algeria; by film’s end she may not feel quite so universally alienated.
Every shot attests to Gatlif’s brilliance as a filmmaker. Many of these shots surprise us by relegating Zano and Naïma to background, with faces of others occupying the foreground—sometimes belonging to characters whose different journey the couple’s journey crossed by chance, sometimes belonging to strangers whom the couple will eventually pass by. In a crowded, sweltering bus, a bead of sweat from a woman who is standing becomes the facsimile of a teardrop when it falls upon Naïma’s face as she sits on the floor: a sign of stirred emotion she has largely suppressed.
Both characters break down: Zano, whose parents are deceased, as he explores family photographs in what had been his parents’ apartment before they fled Algeria; Naïma, as the result of a rhythmic, ritualistic, orgiastic group exorcism—one of the most gripping “dance” sequences on film.
When asked at one point to identify his religion, Zano answers with the truth: “Music.”
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EXILES (Tony Gatlif, 2004)
Tony Gatlif, whose Latcho Drom (1993) is one of cinema’s greatest musicals, won the directorial prize at Cannes for Exils, which is equally stunning. Gatlif, a Frenchman, is of Romany and Algerian descent. Whereas the earlier film leaned on his Romany descent, Exils leans on his Algerian descent. Whereas Latcho Drom traces the historical trek of the people we call Gypsies from India through Europe, Exils journeys in reverse, from adopted homeland to ancestral homeland. A young Parisian couple, both of Algerian descent, make their way “back” to Algeria.
When Zano first proposes the adventure to her, Naïma laughs at the proposal; yet she will be at least as moved by their “return” to Algeria as Zano is. “I am a stranger everywhere,” she sadly notes early on in Algeria; by film’s end she may not feel quite so universally alienated.
Every shot attests to Gatlif’s brilliance as a filmmaker. Many of these shots surprise us by relegating Zano and Naïma to background, with faces of others occupying the foreground—sometimes belonging to characters whose different journey the couple’s journey crossed by chance, sometimes belonging to strangers whom the couple will eventually pass by. In a crowded, sweltering bus, a bead of sweat from a woman who is standing becomes the facsimile of a teardrop when it falls upon Naïma’s face as she sits on the floor: a sign of stirred emotion she has largely suppressed.
Both characters break down: Zano, whose parents are deceased, as he explores family photographs in what had been his parents’ apartment before they fled Algeria; Naïma, as the result of a rhythmic, ritualistic, orgiastic group exorcism—one of the most gripping “dance” sequences on film.
When asked at one point to identify his religion, Zano answers with the truth: “Music.”
Like this:
This entry was posted on January 26, 2008 at 11:19 pm and is filed under Formal Capsule Film Comments. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.