I Even Met Happy Gypsies

Aleksandar Petrovic's 1967 film is set among a Roma community in northern Serbia who make their living gathering feathers. Bora, played by Bekim Fehmiu, is charming and cruel; his interest in the young Tisa puts them both against the community's rules and against violence. Its historical importance is that it was among the first works in Eastern Europe to tell Roma life in its own language rather than as an object of outside curiosity. Much of the dialogue is in Romani and Romani-speaking actors take the roles. With that choice Petrovic broke from the folkloric habit of representation of his time. The film does not idealise the community either: violence against women, child marriage and internal hierarchy are all shown plainly. It won the Special Grand Prize of the Jury and the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes and was nominated in the foreign film category at the Academy Awards. Who it's for: those interested in Yugoslav cinema and in turning points in the screen representation of minorities. Who it's not for: viewers who want to avoid scenes of violence against women; the film places them at the centre of its story.