I set out on this road just to tell the story of Rembetiko music. It literally coincided with the time I was shooting. I didn't include the refugee and immigration issue in the movie on purpose. How did you prefer to mention this issue? And was your preference of Lesbos intentional in this matter? People should be well aware of what they have to be free anyway.ĭ.S: In the last few years, the refugee flux has been on the world agenda. Their freedom is not a vulgar freedom or a vulgar show of liberty. My characters are usually free and liberated yet they are shy at the same time. We celebrated the arrival of a new year with songs of Flamenco, live music and dance.ĭ.S: There is a specific stress on liberated and free characters in your films. We used to travel to Andalusia to celebrate the New Year and enter the first hours of the new year with music. Music also played an important part in my family's life. Music is as intensely included in my life as in my movies. What does music mean in your personal life and cinematography? We received the viewers' award at the Brussels Mediterranean Film Festival.ĭ.S: There is an intense use of dance and music in your films. We then headed to festivals in Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Belgium. We received great and pleasing reactions. I like exile stories and therefore, the exile and the immigration that took place in the Balkans is one of my fields of interest.ĭ.S: "Djam" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and later in many other festivals. I'm not just an Algerian making movies I am a Gypsy shooting movies. T.S: At this point, I would like to stress my Gypsy roots, as well. But it all worked out in the end she learned everything and created the character I was hoping to create.ĭ.S: As an Algerian-origin French director, you successfully and focus on Balkan territory in several films, especially among gypsies, like in "Transylvania" and "Gadjo Dilo." What is so special about Balkan societies, music and culture? And the character I had written was not supposed to be beautiful I was looking for someone with minor defects, whereas Daphne has a great beauty. Daphne didn't know how to dance, sing or play instruments when she arrived. This person should tick all the criteria boxes. What I was trying to do was like seeking water in the middle of the desert. But it is really hard to find someone who is capable of managing all these things. I love dance so I wanted her to be able to dance. So since I am a big music fan, I wanted her to be familiar and into music. Here, there is a woman in the leading role. As the Greek side is included in the European Union, the European regulations automatically intruded.ĭ.S: How did you manage the casting process for "Djam," especially the main character? What were your criteria?Īs an independent filmmaker, I would like to ornament the characters in my movie with things I like. They did not allow me to shoot at the border with fences. However, we encountered problems on the Greek side of the border. Our producer in Turkey, Suzan Güverte, organized everything meticulously and on time. T.G: We had no problems on the Turkish side of the border. Toni Gatlif (L) and Zeynep Esra Istanbullu of Daily Sabah.ĭ.S: Could you tell us about the hardships of shooting a movie that partly passes in the Greek and Turkish borders? Did you have any problems with logistics or permits? The master director was in Istanbul last week for the Turkish premiere of "Djam," and Daily Sabah interviewed him about his directing style, cinematography and his latest movie. Generous, self-assured and free-spirited, Djam takes Avril into her arms on this journey full of music, new acquaintances, shared memories and hopes to Lesbos. Avril is a young woman who volunteers to help refugees without any money and not knowing a single soul in town. The young woman meets the 18-year-old French Avril in Istanbul. The main character, Djam, travels from Lesbos to Istanbul to purchase a ship component for Kakourgos, a former sailor and a fan of Rembetiko music, who she calls uncle. His latest film "Djam" tells the story of a young girl's journey between Lesbos, Istanbul and the Turkish-Greece border. Born in 1948 to a father from Kabylie in Algeria and a Gypsy mother, Tony Gatlif won international acclaim for his movies, including "Vengo," "Transylvania," and "Gadjo Dilo," that focus on and represent regional cultures.
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