Jasmine Dellal made a documentary called American Gypsy in 1999, and now she explores the music and culture of five different Romany bands in Gypsy Caravan.

Beginning with a quick intro to the roots of the people in Northern India, Dellal introduces Roma musicians and performers from Romania, Macedonia, India and Spain who are all part of a six-week concert tour. Five bands, four countries, nine different languages. And a lot of music.

The film involves plenty of discussion about the passion of music, the spark of music, the role of music in Roma life. Johnny Depp turns up to talk about the cliches about gypsies that many American people believe; he encountered and befriended the string-based Balkan band Taraf de Haidouks when making The Man Who Cried, and the group performs here.

One peformance standout in the film is Esma Redzepova, a singer known throughout Romania as Queen of The Gypsies. "I was singing at 11," she says, and in middle age her voice is still amazing. (And the footage from her 1960s music videos in Yugoslavia is even more amazing.) Esma has had quite a life, and among other things, she and her husband took in 47 poor and orphaned children over the years.

In Gypsy Caravan you'll meet the wild brass ensemble Fanfare Ciocarlia (who played in Borat) and the dance group Maharaja. You'll see Harish do the impressive Rajasthani knee dance and you get to meet Antonio and his Aunt Juana, who explain the Roma roots of flamenco.

The musical tour takes the groups around North America (including stops in Toronto and Niagara Falls) but as the film touches on the musicians' backgrounds and on various aspects of Roma music and culture, it goes all over the world.

And it sort of goes all over the place. There's lots of talk in the film about what a bad reputation Gypsies have in many countries, but what Gypsy Caravan does not do is fill in the blanks about how or why that should be. The music in the film is exhilarating, but there isn't enough information about anyone or anything, and the film feels slight overall. And scattered. You'll leave hungry for more.

Gypsy Caravan is in English, and in Romanian, Macedonian, Hindi, Romany, and Spanish with English subtitles.

(This film is rated PG)
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