"The two kids put in lively performances but the film really belongs to the musicians. "Swing really does swing. Gatlif gets right inside this gypsy community. Through him, we get a chance to see the real thing. And that's something special." Pauline Webber FILMINK "A last-summer coming-of-age movie dressed up as a Gypsy jazz guitar fest, 'Swing' is a charming slip of a movie that's a relief after helmer Tony Gatlifs increasingly operatic tributes to Romany culture." Derek Elley VARIETY "Max's shy approximation to the inhabitants of the Rome quarter and its music also gives Swing its contentwise structure, which is however quite loosely held to the film. Instead of telling a coherent history, Gatlif uses fragments of the life, he collects the reality of people in to whose community the boy penetrates." Jutta Klocke SCHNITT DAS FILMMAGAZIN "Swing" is the continuation of "Vengo", Gatlifs previous film inspired by colourful, life-spraying pictures and the versatile music of the "gypsies". Simon Cellar & Milna Nicolay KINO

"Garnier's unaffected use of widescreen Panavision for such an intimate story, peppered with some beautifully lit compositions, elevates the material beyond the everyday without turning the movie into a pastoral postcard. The utter simplicity of pic's ending is a tribute to Gatlif's restraint throughout." Derek Elley VARIETY "Gatlif's motivation, in this and all his fils, is as he puts it, "to transmit something that is disappearing. I am trying to be a witness." Swing does that beautifully and the music is irresistable." Peter Calder NZ HERALD "This quite wonderful film isn't only a showcase for Gypsy music, something Tony Gatlif has celebrated in his other films. It's about one memorable summer in the lives of two ten year olds, a time of discovery. The music scenes are great, but this is much more than just a music film, the screen lights up with the warmth and humanity on display." SBS THE MOVIE SHOW "A marvellous journey into the heart of the gypsy world". EMPIRE MAGAZINE "Tony Gatlif has been creating some of the best world cinema of the last few years. His latest film, set in France and featuring Manouche or gypsy jazz music is another winner." Gary Williams RAVE MAGAZINE

At A Glance

"Music is the central feature, and there's a rollicking party in the caravan crowded with musicians, a choral performance from a womens chior with the Manouche players, and plenty of scintillating guitar playng from Scmitt and Mandino Reinhardt, a decendant of the great Django Reinhardt, probably the finest jazz guitarist ever and whose spirit this film is clearly imbued with." ....... Gary Williams RAVE MAGAZINE

There's always something magic about a Tony Gatlif film. So how does Gatlifs latest film "Swing" stack up against his previous films. The news is good. "Swing" is exciting. "Swing" is vibrant. "Swing" is pure magic. And yes, that fabulous toe-tapping, energetic music is back. In the words of Tony Gatlif himself, "Music is the liberty that inspires me when I make my films, and gives me the energy to go out and meet people throughout the world. The film could not be made without music."
Once again Director & Writer Tony Gatlif brings us an experience which incorporates the gypsy world and their culture. This time the focus is on a 10 year old french lad named Max [an only child who longs to play the guitar Manouche style] and a free spirited gypsy girl named Swing. Gatlif has built into "Swing" a tale of music and the sweetness of first love. The link for both the young children is provided through a gypsy music teacher, Miraldo [played by gypsy guitar virtuoso Tchavolo Schmitt]. The two young stars, Oscar Copp & Lou Rech put in generous performances, quickly endearing themselves to the audience. And though there is much to focus on with this beautiful story [revolving around the three stars], there is, as always with Gatlif, much more on offer. There are some magical images and yes, that grand gypsy jazz to enjoy thanks to Schmitt.
"Swing" is a story book of collectable images and memories including a poignant segment that takes us back to the labour camps of the Nazi's. Gatlif sees this as being a witness to the Gypsy culture, a culture slowly but surely disappearing. To incorporate even such a small segment was indeed very daring. "It is a delicate subject. The few gypsies that came out of it alive are hesitant to talk about it, or don't even speak about it at all," he said. "I looked for a Manouche woman who would agree to talk about her internment in a concentration camp, and I found Helene Mershtein." And the effect of the Holocaust had such a profound impact on Gypsy culture, didn't it? "Few elderly people survived. This is why the younger generation doesn't know much about their culture," he explained. So how has that influenced them since WW2? "The Gypsies have changed their way of life since the Holocaust. Approximately 500,000 Gypsies died in the camps," he said. "they have evolved alongside society. Their music is subversive. It is music that cannot be learnt through a score, but with the heart and the ear", he added. That begs the question on the music of Tchavalo Schmitt, which I must say is brilliant. "I really wanted to make a film with Tchavalo Schmitt. Tchavalo fascinates me because he is not interested in fame or money! Tchavalo Schmitt is the gypsy equivalent of Tomatito, Cameron de la Ilsa's guitarist. Tomatito is world famous, while Tchavalo prefers to stay in his temporary home near Strasbourg," Gatlif offered. And you filmed him on site too? "That's why I went to film him in his house", he says. "I filmed him in his house, in his street, in his kitchen. He doesn't have a car, he earns his living by playing music in bars." And their is a famous connection with the guitar he plays, isn't there? "It's the Selmer guitar invented for Django, the swing guitar, which is hollow on the right side, Gatlif explained. " Django even set up a factory to make his guitar."
And the scenes in the caravan? "I told Regis Leroux, the sound engineer, and Claude Garnier, who was both chief cameraman and camera operator, that we were going to film 20 musicians in the caravan. Claude asked, "But where will the camera be?" I replied, "Everywhere". And that sums up, spot on, why Tony Gatlif's "Swing" is so wonderful, so down right damn marvelous. The camera is everywhere, the music is eveywhere, the joy and passion is everywhere and all rotate smoothly around the spirit that Tony Galif exhudes for films which incorporate the Gypsy culture. The Story

"Gatlif's works form what the French call a "film fleuve", a river of film, they blur one into the next. Heart rending glimpses into Gypsy life, snapshots of rich traditions in song and dance,timeless tales of love, family, loyalty and death, each film revisits these obsessions from a slightly different angle, exploring a new mood." Adrain Marsh THE AGE

Max is just 10 years old and an only child. He has a real love for Manouche jazz and wants to emulate guitar virtuoso Miraldo. In search of a guitar he ventures into a nearby neighbourhood where the gypsies live. Here he meets Swing, a ten year old free spirited young girl who, even though she is his age, appears to be very grown up. Max soon has another fascination other than music. Is it love? Max may have a love for Manouche jazz, but his music lessons are suddenly getting in the way of being able to spend time with Swing. The Verdict "A bright and breezy infusion of love, life, music and tragedy. Tony Gatlif's "Swing" delivers yet another toe-tapping film filled with wonderful images, touching moments and that vibrant gypsy music. "Swing" imbides one with its subtle story of first love. Tony Gatlif's "Swing" works well. So well in fact that viewers leave the theatre filled with a deep sense of joy. The Music will burn its way into your soul. Another admirable film, a healthy portion of Tony Gatlif magic." The Cast & Crew

Oscar Copp Lou Rech Tchavolo Schmitt Mandino Reinhardt Abdellatif Chaarani Fabienne Mai Ben Zimet Hélène Mershtein Colette Lepage Alberto Hoffman Marie Génin Sha-Sha Moïra Montier-Dauriac Ghania Benali

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Max Swing Miraldo Mandino Khalid Max's grandmother Dr Liberman Puri Daï Miraldo's Wife Calo Max's mother Farida Moïra Ghania

Directed by Tony Gatlif Screenplay by Tony Gatlif Original Music by Abdellatif Chaarani/Tony Gatlif/Mandino Reinhardt & Tchavolo Schmitt Cinematography by Claude Garnier Film Editing by Monique Dartonne Casting by Ève Guillou Production Design by Denis Mercier Language: French with English subtitles Rated PG [AUST] Run Time 90 minutes Copyright ©2003 - Potential Films - All Rights Reserved Copyright©2003 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved