Vengo is a movie by
Tony Gatlif, who is a
gypsy from
Algeria and has also made, among others,
Gadjo Dilo.
Vengo is about flamenco. The story is a bit flimsy. Two families are caught up in an endless blood feud and the main character is a father who has lost his daughter and is trying to drown his sorrow in drink and fiesta.
The storyline is mainly an excuse for lots of famous and not-so-famous flamenco artists to make an appearance. Featured are Tomatito, La Caita, Los Gritos de Guerra and La Paquera de Jerez, to name but a few. Some of them have come out of their tiny villages and into the limelight just for this movie.
If you have a weak spot for Andalusian culture, this film is an absolute must. The music is fantastic - if you like flamenco, that is. The film leaves you with a lot more understanding of the 'flamenco' way of life, where joy and pain are experienced to the full and expressed into heartbreakingly beautiful music.