South of France. In the sultry August heat, Geronimo, a young social educator, tries to ease tensions between the youngsters of the St Pierre neighborhood. The mood changes when Nil Terzi, a teenage girl of Turkish origin, flees an arranged marriage, running to the arms of her gypsy lover, Lucky Molina. Their escape sparks hostilities between the two clans. When the jousting and the musical battles begin, Geronimo struggles to quell the ensuing unrest around her.
Direction
Gatlif's documentary roots make the neighborhood feel lived-in and volatile.
Sound
Flamenco and hip-hop clash then merge—music as territory and truce.
Acting
Sallette's exhausted warmth anchors the chaos around her.
Director
Tony Gatlif
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Gatlif is of Romani descent and has spent his career making films about marginalized European communities, often casting non-professionals from those groups.
The 'joutes musicales' (musical jousts) were partly improvised—real local musicians from St Pierre brought their actual rivalries to set.
FR
