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Gypsy (Cigán) (2011); Made in Ash (Až do města Aš) (2012)

Gypsy (2011)
May 11, 2013 - 7:30 pm

Gypsy (Cigán) (Czech Republic/Slovakia, 2011)

“Hamlet…freshly reimagined.” — Time Out London

“Captures a specific way of life without placing it behind glass…you might call it an old story with higher stakes.” — Village Voice

Directed by Martin Šulík

When his father is killed and his loan-shark uncle becomes head of the family, a Roma boy is caught between two worlds—he navigates poverty and prejudice as he struggles to support his family, while resisting his uncle's criminal activities and embittered attitudes toward non-Roma. Shot on location, evocative hillside landscapes and touches of magic realism balance this astutely realist drama.

In Film Praha. Producer: Rudolf Biermann. Screenwriters: Marek Lesčák, Martin Šulík. Cinematographer: Martin Šec. Editor: Jiří Brožek. Cast: Janko Mižigár, Miroslav Gulyas, Martina Kotlarova, Attila Mokos, Martin Hangurbadžo.

35mm, color, in Roma and Slovak with English subtitles, 100 min. 

Made in Ash (Až do města Aš) (Slovakia/Czech Republic, 2012)

"Signals the emergence of a helmer to watch in Iveta Grofova." — Variety

"...gritty authenticity and flashes of visual poetry." — Hollywood Reporter

Directed by Iveta Grófová

A naive teenage girl heads west from Slovakia to the Czech-German border, dreaming of a better life, but succumbing to exploitation as hard times and discrimination narrow her options and dispel her illusions. Non-professional actors and handheld camera punctuated with interludes of animation contribute to a gritty but lyrical portrayal of border town realities.

Protos Productions. Producer: Barbara Kipsová. Screenwriters: Marek Lesčák, Iveta Grófová. Cinematographer: Viera Bačíková. Editor: Maroš Šlapeta. Cast: Dorotka Bílá, Silvia Halušicová, Robin Horký, Jarka Bucincova, Maria Billa.

HDCam; color; in Czech, Slovak, and German with English subtitles; 84 min.

Watch the trailer here.