Director's Bio-Filmography:
Tomáš Kratochvíl este absolvent de studii umaniste. A petrecut la FAMU (Facultatea de film și televiziune din Praga) doar un an. A devenit cunoscut datorită documentarului Gadjo (2014), un jurnal cinematografic al perioadei în care a locuit cu romii din cartierul Předlice, o zonă marginalizată. Proiectul, inițial independent, a fost preluat de televiziunea cehă și inclus într-un serial.
Director's / Curator's Statement:
In 2013, Czech nationalism, at its worst, is on the rise and the anti-Gypsy demonstrations occur almost daily. The director of the film decides to move to a Gypsy ghetto with the worst reputation for 6 months. Trying to find the answers concerning the coexistence of two ethnic groups - the „black“ one and the „white“ one, he finds new friends amongst the Roma people, who follow him on his quest. He records obscure situations, when even children take violence and death as a normal option for solving their problems. After being left by his wife, the author decides to move from the centre of Prague to supposedly the worst Gypsy ghetto in the Czech Republic. He is taken under the wing of a clan of property owners. Gadjo is involved in the repair of a badly damaged house and becomes a member of the family. His aim is to find the cause of the decline of the place where he lives. He takes part in anti-Roma marches and tries to uncover the motivations of all the groups involved. Half a year after his arrival in the ghetto, his white family, together with the gypsies, celebrates Gadjo’s thirtieth birthday.This cinematic reportage with elements of a personal journal explores xenophobia in Czech society and anti-Nazi activists, but also the filmmaker’s personal experience from living among in an socially excluded Romani neighborhood. Most of the footage was shot by the director using his own camera, and the immediacy of the images is further accentuated by voiceover observations and commentary. In just a few scenes, he adds music for dramatic affect. With his direct questions, he tries to unmask the racist arguments not only of anti-Roma protestors, but also of many ordinary citizens. (r: Tomas Kratochvil)