Liberté – Tony Gatlif
Thousands march to support Roma in Paris
Similar peaceful protests took place outside French embassies elsewhere in Europe. In Belgrade, Serbia, dozens of Gypsies chanted anti-racist slogans and held banners calling for an end to the expulsions from France.
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Italian cities plan to shut down Roma Camps (NYtimes)
The film stars French actor Marc Lavoine (Frenchmen), Canadian actress Marie-Josée Croze (Tell No One) and Swiss actor James Thiérrée (The Vanishing Point).
Based on real-life characters, Liberté will follow the journey of a family led by its head of clan (a woman) and its “hero”, Taloche (Thiérrée), a whimsical childlike bohemian. They will be helped by the Righteous, Théodore, the town mayor (Lavoine) and Ms Lundi, teacher and mayor employee (Croze).
Written by the director, the story deals with the tragic destiny of gypsies in France. But it is also a story of love and friendship between two Righteous who try to protect, right to the bitter end, an abandoned child and a Roma family.Gatlif accompanied the announcement of the project with a declaration highlighting his intentions: “I wanted to give them another image other than that forged by fear and hate, which led directly to gas chambers for gypsies and bohemians, a free and nomad people”. (Via)
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Romany Journeys
Photos by Joakim Eskildsen (Hungary, India, Greece, Romania, France, Russia abd Finland)