MovieChat Forums > Dom za vesanje (1990) Discussion > Gypsy language

Gypsy language

posted 17 years ago by naitre
9 replies | jump to latest

I got a question on the language issue. The movie is originally partly in Romany, the Gypsy language, right? BUT I guess not all of the actors were Gypsies, and it is not a language spoken and taught outside the community. The only ones who know it are the ones who have it as a mother tongue. Or am I wrong? So, while Ljubica Adzovic (the grandmother) is Gypsy and so are some of the actors playing village folks, how did Kusturica make the other actors speak it? Does that mean that Sinolicka Trpkova (Azra) is Gypsy? Or Davor himself? That's something I'm completely clueless about.

[–] ivanziv-1 17 years ago

Davor most certainly wasn't a gypsy, nor was Bora Todorovic, Branko Djuric or Predrag Lakovic. Sinolicka Trpkova is Macedonian, not sure about her though - doesn't look like one to me.

And if you read the interview on Davor's site, you'll remember he said how difficult for him it was to learn that language.

Hope this helps.

[–] naitre 17 years ago

Yeah, I should have revised the site first. I read that interview right after posting, in which he said he had to actually learn it.

[–] m_planeta 17 years ago

You've posted this question a while ago, but only now I sat down to read some comments on Kusturica's movies (as I am impatiently waiting to see the new one, opening in Cannes Film Festival)...
Yes, their language is taught nowhere and it is spoken only among the gypsies, or Roma population. Now, I come from Macedonia, and I know that the Roma community in Macedonia have preserved their language and still speak it among them, not sure how things are in rest of ex-Yugoslavia, though I'd say it's the same as in Macedonia.
For example, the Gypsy community in Spain, as far as I know, do not speak it. They do have their own influence on the Spanish they speak, but it is not the same case as in Macedonia.
Sinolichka Trpkova is not a gypsy, she is of Macedonian nationality and I am sure she also had to learn the language for the movie.
...
Not sure if you will get to read this message but hope that it clears things a bit.

greetings,
M.

[–] naitre 17 years ago

Thanks for answering. I tend to check imdb out every now and then, so I usually catch on the answers even if they come up way after the thread was started.

So have you seen "Zavet"?! What is it like? Any sign of genius coming back? ('cos I didn't really like "Life is a Miracle", but was hoping Kusturica would finally come to his senses)

[–] egrimate 17 years ago

I'm from Yugoslavia (Kusturica's home contry) and some of the actors aren't gypsies, but locally known actors. I suppose some of them knew the language already, it's somewhat popular in this area.

Mostly they speak the gypsy language, which is AFAIK in every country a mix of the gypsy language and the local one. For example Hungarian gypsies speak a mix of Hungarian and Gypsy. The Serbians a mix of Serbian and Gypsy. Etc.

In this movie, they speak Serbian sometimes, mostly when communicating with people outside the community.

[–] arwenhyde 17 years ago

they're actors so of course they're gonna have to learn some of the language. in "mirush" a mirjana karanovic and an italian actor were playing albanians so they spoke albanian.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] MuzikJunky 17 years ago

"Gypsy" is a pejorative. The people are the Rom or the Romany, and the language is also called Romany. Peace.

The everyday happens every day.

[–] fvazquez-1 16 years ago

As a matter of fact in Yucatan (south from Mexico) and Guatemala still lots of people that speak Mayan... Cheers!