Tony Gatlif obit

Tony Gatlif Dies: ‘Gadjo Dilo’ Director Whose Work Celebrated Roma Culture Was 77

 

He was not on the list.

Director Tony Gatlif, who was known for films such as Gadjo Dilo exploring Roma culture, died in the Southern French town of Arles on September 3. He was 77.

The director was born Michel Boualem Dahmani in Algiers on September 10, 1948, to a Kabyle father and mother of Andalusian and Gitane origin.

He had a difficult childhood, growing up in poverty in slums on the outskirts of the Algerian capital, which he quit for France at age 14 in the early 1960s. After a period of precarity and petty criminality, a meeting with his idol, actor Michel Simon, opened the door to a dramatic arts course in Germain-en-Laye outside of Paris, after the latter wrote a letter of recommendation.

While gaining experience as an actor, Gatlif gradually started creating his own original work based on his own experiences and exploring the culture of his Roma origins.

He broke into directing in 1975 with La tête en Ruines, followed by the Spain-shot and set drama Corre Gitano, about a young gypsy man accused of a crime he did not commit. It was the first among a series of films exploring the culture and challenges of Europe’s Roma people.

In 1992, he won Cannes Un Certain Regard prize for Latcho Drom, a documentary about gypsy music.

He followed this with one of this best known films, Gadjo Dilo (The Crazy Stranger), starring Romain Duris as a Frenchman who travels to Romania in search of Roma singer, whose voice he has heard on tapes recorded by his late father.   The film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in 1997 where it won the Silver Leopard.

Gatlif would go on to win Best Director in Cannes in 2004, with the autobiographical drama Exils, reuniting him with Duris and also featuring Lubna Azabal in the cast.

Subsequent works included Korkoro (2009), The Outraged (2012), Geronimo (2014), Djam (2017), Tom Medina (2021) and Ange (2025).

Director

Arthur H in Ange (2025)

Ange

6.0

Director

2025

 

David Murgia in Tom Medina (2021)

Tom Medina

6.2

Director

2021

 

Daphné Patakia in Journey from Greece (2017)

Journey from Greece

7.0

Director

2017

 

Geronimo (2014)

Geronimo

6.2

Director

2014

 

Indignados (2012)

Indignados

5.3

Director

2012

 

Hindi Zahra: Beautiful Tango

5.1

Music Video

Director

2009

 

Freedom (2009)

Freedom

7.2

Director

2009

 

Transylvania (2006)

Transylvania

6.6

Director

2006

 

The Exiles (2004)

The Exiles

6.7

Director

2004

 

Visions of Europe (2004)

Visions of Europe

5.8

Director (segment "France: Paris by Night")

2004

 

Swing (2002)

Swing

7.2

Director

2002

 

Vengo (2000)

Vengo

7.3

Director

2000

 

Romain Duris in Children of the Stork (1999)

Children of the Stork

6.3

Director

1999

 

Romain Duris and Rona Hartner in The Crazy Stranger (1997)

The Crazy Stranger

7.6

Director

1997

 

Lucumi, l'enfant rumbeiro de Cuba

7.5

Short

Director

1995

 

Mondo (1995)

Mondo

7.4

Director

1995

 

Latcho Drom (1993)

Latcho Drom

8.1

Director

1993

 

Gaspard et Robinson (1990)

Gaspard et Robinson

6.5

Director

1990

 

Fanny Ardant, Rémi Martin, and Jean-Pierre Sentier in Do Not Cry My Love (1989)

Do Not Cry My Love

6.0

Director

1989

 

Rue du Départ (1986)

Rue du Départ

4.6

Director

1986

 

The Princes (1983)

The Princes

6.6

Director

1983

 

Corre, gitano (1982)

Corre, gitano

5.4

Director

1982

 

Canta Gitano (1982)

Canta Gitano

6.1

Short

Director

1982

 

La terre au ventre

9.2

Director

1978

 

La tête en ruines

Director

1975

 

Writer

Arthur H in Ange (2025)

Ange

6.0

screenplay

2025

 

David Murgia in Tom Medina (2021)

Tom Medina

6.2

scenario and dialogue

2021

 

Daphné Patakia in Journey from Greece (2017)

Journey from Greece

7.0

screenplay

2017

 

Geronimo (2014)

Geronimo

6.2

Writer

2014

 

Freedom (2009)

Freedom

7.2

written by

2009

 

Transylvania (2006)

Transylvania

6.6

Writer

2006

 

The Exiles (2004)

The Exiles

6.7

Writer

2004

 

Visions of Europe (2004)

Visions of Europe

5.8

script (segment "France: Paris by Night")

2004

 

Swing (2002)

Swing

7.2

Writer

2002

 

Vengo (2000)

Vengo

7.3

screenplaystory

2000

 

Romain Duris in Children of the Stork (1999)

Children of the Stork

6.3

writer

1999

 

Romain Duris and Rona Hartner in The Crazy Stranger (1997)

The Crazy Stranger

7.6

original screenplay and adaptation

1997

 

Mondo (1995)

Mondo

7.4

Writer

1995

 

Latcho Drom (1993)

Latcho Drom

8.1

writer

1993

 

Gaspard et Robinson (1990)

Gaspard et Robinson

6.5

Writer

1990

 

Fanny Ardant, Rémi Martin, and Jean-Pierre Sentier in Do Not Cry My Love (1989)

Do Not Cry My Love

6.0

scenario

1989

 

Rue du Départ (1986)

Rue du Départ

4.6

scenarioadaptation and dialogue

1986

 

The Princes (1983)

The Princes

6.6

writer

1983

 

Corre, gitano (1982)

Corre, gitano

5.4

Writer

1982

 

Canta Gitano (1982)

Canta Gitano

6.1

Short

written by

1982

 

La terre au ventre

9.2

writer

1978

 

Raging Fists (1975)

Raging Fists

5.9

Writer

1975

 

Actor

Marave (2026)

Marave

4.1

TV Movie

Père

2026

 

Winter Song (2015)

Winter Song

6.2

Truand

2015

 

Geronimo (2014)

Geronimo

6.2

L'homme au costume blanc (uncredited)

2014

 

Laisse tes mains sur mes hanches (2003)

Laisse tes mains sur mes hanches

5.7

Un spectateur à l'anniversaire gitan

2003

 

Un petit service

7.4

Short

Pedro Moreno

2003

 

Lulu (2002)

Lulu

5.1

Fabio

2002

 

Havre (1986)

Havre

5.3

1986

 

The Princes (1983)

The Princes

6.6

Léo

1983

 

Canta Gitano (1982)

Canta Gitano

6.1

Short

Le premier echappé

1982

 

Aldo

Short

1978

 

La terre au ventre

9.2

Le F.L.N.

1978

 

Celui qui ne te ressemble pas (1976)

Celui qui ne te ressemble pas

TV Movie

Jes

1976

 

Act of Aggression (1975)

Act of Aggression

5.3

Le motard interrogatoire

1975

 

Raging Fists (1975)

Raging Fists

5.9

Nanar

1975

 

Cat's Soup

Short

1973

 

Sauvés (1972)

Sauvés

TV Movie

1972

 

Les Boussardel (1972)

Les Boussardel

5.7

TV Mini Series

Le Gitan

1972

1 episode

 

Composer

Arthur H in Ange (2025)

Ange

6.0

Composer

2025

 

David Murgia in Tom Medina (2021)

Tom Medina

6.2

Composer

2021

 

Daphné Patakia in Journey from Greece (2017)

Journey from Greece

7.0

Composer

2017

 

Transylvania (2006)

Transylvania

6.6

Composer

2006

 

The Exiles (2004)

The Exiles

6.7

Composer

2004

 

Swing (2002)

Swing

7.2

Composer

2002

 

Vengo (2000)

Vengo

7.3

Composer

2000

 

Romain Duris in Children of the Stork (1999)

Children of the Stork

6.3

Composer

1999

 

Romain Duris and Rona Hartner in The Crazy Stranger (1997)

The Crazy Stranger

7.6

Composer

1997

 

The Princes (1983)

The Princes

6.6

Composer

1983

 

Soundtrack

Noée Abita in Ava (2017)

Ava

6.6

writer: "Naci en Alamo"

2017

 

Shia LaBeouf and Evan Rachel Wood in Charlie Countryman (2013)

Charlie Countryman

6.3

performer: "Doina Ciorba"

2013

 

Freedom (2009)

Freedom

7.2

writer: "Les Bohémiens"

2009

 

Transylvania (2006)

Transylvania

6.6

arranger: "Mamaliga", "Mahala", "Fete des masques", "Libre zingarina"lyrics: "Fureur", "Tchiki Tchiki", "Je t'ai cherche"writer: "Promesse", "Le souffle", "Fureur", "Dechirant", "Le chant du Pope", "Regret", "Je t'ai cherche", "Le vent"

2006

 

The Exiles (2004)

The Exiles

6.7

writer: "1-2-3 Nada Mas"

2004

 

Vengo (2000)

Vengo

7.3

arranger: "Nací en Alamo"lyrics: "Nací en Alamo"writer: "Fusion Flamenco Soufi", "Techno a El Rey", "Mécanique Garage"

2000

 

Producer

Arthur H in Ange (2025)

Ange

6.0

producer

2025

 

David Murgia in Tom Medina (2021)

Tom Medina

6.2

producer

2021

 

Geronimo (2014)

Geronimo

6.2

producer

2014

 

Indignados (2012)

Indignados

5.3

executive producer

2012

 

Freedom (2009)

Freedom

7.2

producer

2009

 

The Exiles (2004)

The Exiles

6.7

producer

2004

 

Comme un avion (2002)

Comme un avion

4.7

associate producer

2002

 

Vengo (2000)

Vengo

7.3

producer

2000

 

Music Department

Daphné Patakia in Journey from Greece (2017)

Journey from Greece

7.0

music arranger

2017

 

Geronimo (2014)

Geronimo

6.2

musical director

2014

 

Additional Crew

Asyl (2004)

Asyl

4.6

chief director

2004

 

Thanks

Our Father (2002)

Our Father

6.6

thanks

2002

 

Self

Charles Chaplin in Chaplin: Spirit of the Tramp (2024)

Chaplin: Spirit of the Tramp

6.5

Self

2024

 

Dustin Hoffman, Mark Wahlberg, and Denzel Washington in Días de cine (1991)

Días de cine

6.8

TV Series

Self - Interviewee

2013–2021

3 episodes

 

Laurent Ruquier in On n'est pas couché (2006)

On n'est pas couché

5.3

TV Series

Self

2014

1 episode

 

Au Field de la nuit (2008)

Au Field de la nuit

TV Series

Self

2010–2014

2 episodes

 

Montreuil-Bellay, un camp tsigane oublié (2012)

Montreuil-Bellay, un camp tsigane oublié

TV Movie

Self

2012

 

Anne-Élisabeth Lemoine in C à vous (2009)

C à vous

4.7

TV Series

Self

2012

1 episode

 

Avant-premières (2011)

Avant-premières

TV Series

Self

2012

1 episode

 

Ce soir (ou jamais!) (2006)

Ce soir (ou jamais!)

7.3

TV Series

Self

2007–2010

2 episodes

 

Fanny Ardant in La nuit des César (1976)

La nuit des César

5.5

TV Series

Self - WinnerSelf - Presenter

1999–2010

3 episodes

 

Thomas Baurez in Cinémas (2009)

Cinémas

6.8

TV Series

Self

2010

1 episode

 

20 heures le journal (1981)

20 heures le journal

5.5

TV Series

Self

2007

1 episode

 

Laurent Perrin in Vocation cinéaste (2006)

Vocation cinéaste

Self

2006

 

L'hebdo cinéma (2005)

L'hebdo cinéma

3.2

TV Series

Self

2006

1 episode

 

Double je (2002)

Double je

8.5

TV Series

Self

2004

1 episode

 

Arrêt spectacles (2003)

Arrêt spectacles

TV Series

Self

2004

1 episode

 

Jean-Paul Belmondo and Anna Karina in Pierrot le fou (1965)

Cannes Film Festival

6.7

TV Series

Self - Winner

2004

1 episode

 

Comme au cinéma (1998)

Comme au cinéma

5.4

TV Series

Self

2004

1 episode

 

Versión española (1998)

Versión española

6.6

TV Series

Self

2001–2002

2 episodes

 

Michel Drucker in Vivement dimanche (1998)

Vivement dimanche

4.4

TV Series

Self

2002

1 episode

 

Le cercle du cinéma (1997)

Le cercle du cinéma

6.2

TV Series

Self

1998

1 episode

 

John Steinbeck in Un siècle d'écrivains (1995)

Un siècle d'écrivains

6.8

TV Series

Self

1996

1 episode

 

Le cercle de minuit (1992)

Le cercle de minuit

5.4

TV Series

Self

1993

1 episode

 

Archive Footage

Les Nuits de France Culture (1994)

Les Nuits de France Culture

Podcast Series

Self (archive sound)

2004

1 episode