Stephane (Romain Duris) is a young Frenchman travelling through Romania in search of an unknown singer. The only lead he has is a mysterious name engraved on a cassette: Nora Luca. The cassette has sentimental value as his father untiringly listened to this gypsy singer during the last moments of his life.

In the heart of Romania in the middle of a snowy and freezing night, Stephane arrives in a deserted village. He meets Isidore, an old gypsy, insulting the village people between two swishes of vodka. The next morning, the gypsy village is all in a fluster. A stranger is sleeping in Isidore's bed, the village chief! Who is this young, dirty, bushy-haired "gadjo", with holes in his shoes? Isidore c alms them down and explain that this young Frenchman is his friend, come here to learn their language.

Stephane becomes their honored guest. All of the village bends over backward to assist, feed and lodge him. The children play with him. Yet it is Sabina (Rona Hartner), her character, her passion, her sensuality and her spirit of liberty that Stephane discovers. In searching for Nora Luca, he was seeking to find his father, and instead finds love, a new family, and an entire culture.

The director, Tony Gatlif, born in Algeria, talks about his film. "When I arrived in Balteni, I found extraodinary people without a care for Rumania nor France! Balteni is located 60 kilometers from Bucharest. It is a sort of isolated ghetto in the middle of the countryside. People are afraid of the gypsies who make fun of everything and are afraid of none. I wanted only non-professionals to play their proper roles in this film with Romain and Rona. It is my most complete film, not in terms of the images, but in terms of sincerity. The poetic nature of the film is woven by life itself. Gadjo Dilo is the last piece in my triptych on the gypsies, along with Les Princes (The Princes) and Latcho Drom.

Gadjo Dilo (France - 1997)won the Special Grand Prize of the Americas at the 1997 Montreal Festival. It  will come out in France on April 8, 1998.

Director & Screenplay: Tony Gatlif
Producer: Doru Mitran
Music: Tony Gatlif
Photo: Eric Guichard
Editing: Monique Dartonne
Sound: Nicolas Naefelen
Decors: Brigitte Brassart
Cast: Romain Duris, Rona Hartner, Isidore Serban, Ovidiu Balan, Dan Astileanu, Valentin Teodosiu, Florin Moldovan, Mandra Ramcu, Aurica Serban, Radu Ramcu.
Distribution: AFMD
Running time: 100 minutes