Doors open at 19:30, intro+film at 20:00
TIME OF THE GYPSIES * 1988 * (Dom za vešanje) * Directed by Emir Kusturica * 140 minutes * Mostly in Serbo-Croatian, with English subtitles

This is the legendary film from former Yugoslavia, and the one that kick-started the career of Emir Kusturica (Underground, Black Cat White Cat). At the beginning of the film, a tale is told about how God came to Earth but couldn't stand the gypsies. Always marginalized, and surviving in utter poverty, the gypsy (or Roma, or Romani) communities live pretty harsh and chaotic lives. You can see that in this flick, but you also see the poetry, humor and magic.

This is the film that put Yugoslavia on the map of world cinema in the 80s, and rightly so. It embraces a kind of magic realism, and often blurs the line between reality and dream sequences. In a film like this, dreams are a part of life. This sense of illumination is only enhanced by the gorgeous Balkan music of Goran Bregović—one of the most famous soundtracks ever composed. Time of the Gypsies is an epic film with a broad scope, and although it centers on certain characters, it also takes in an entire community and their spirit. 

One strand of the narrative is about a young man with special powers, and how this gift ruins his life. But it is about so much more than that, because it's bursting at the seams with both life and death. Hilarious and witty, absurd and insane, with elements of Fellini and Tarkovsky alike. The cinematography is also powerful and lucid, making this movie a tour de force both thematically and aesthetically. It's the kind of film that weaves its way deep into your soul, and for some, it's a life-changing experience. A classic of European cinema, and one that reveals the dullness and lack of imagination in modern American movies. A real beauty... full of fire and gypsy humor, making it perfect for a summer night.