Cigánymesék (2014)

Once upon a time, a very long time ago, back when only the Gypsies shed tears, there lived a beautiful woman named Vunida. She lived with her three children in terrible poverty. This film tells the tale of Vunida, her encounter with the devil, her escape, and the curse that transformed her into a cherry tree. Her children, having drawn strength from the juicy cherries hanging from the boughs of the tree, set out in search of their mother.

Doja, the beautiful Gypsy fairy, gracefully strolls down a rainbow to be among her people and help them. Clinging to her long, sable hair, they fly with her to a wondrous island, where they can build their own fiefdom and live happily, in peace. But then, one day, a terrible thing happens...

Káló, the handsome Gypsy lad, lies among the wildflowers on the banks of a stream, lost in idle daydreams. He falls in love with the seductively beautiful queen of the underwater realm and finds himself mixed up in all sorts of adventures to win her hand. With the help of Drinkárta, the witch with seaweed hair, he finally wakes up from his reveries, and in the end he lives happily ever after with Gilze, his true love.

When the good Lord created the sky, the earth, and the water, he was content. But soon, he began to feel lonely. He brooded for a moment, and then he began to knead a bit of clay. He opened the oven and started to bake a man…

The events of a little boy’s life usher him into the world of life among the Gypsies, where he seeks unconditional love, and his closet family members are put to the test.

Once upon a time, an enormous dragon and a piteously cruel giant stole the Sun and the Moon. Darkness fell over the world. Fortunately, two brave and strong men set out to find the light and bring it back…

The story is a “fib-teller’s tale”. Riza, a Roma girl, narrates an unusual night, in which dream and reality intermix. The story is a flow of surreal, humorous absurdities told in the first-person singular.

Our hero is a Gypsy blacksmith, a man quite capable of all kinds of mischief and no less fond of drink, but also someone who never shirks work. He lives and works close to God in his workshop, tucked away in the hills above a village with lovely forests and parks, so it is hardly surprising that one day, the Lord God, a bit curious to see his creation, dropped in. The two share adventures and trials, and indeed it seems in the end to be true that it is no easy task to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, but perhaps that is as it should be.

In the depths of the forest, with only animals as company, lives a kind but ugly girl. When she catches a glimpse of the handsome prince, she immediately falls in love and into despair. The animals want to help, but they can’t begin to grasp what the difference is between this thing called ugly and this thing called beautiful.

The film interweaves fairy tales and elements of Roma culture to create a love story with a distinctive tone. Rebeka, the daughter of the rich merchant, falls in love with Zephyr, the son of the King of the Winds, who resembles her in every way. Can she win his heart using beauty, money, and force?

The grandfather – a basket weaver – and his scatterbrained grandson live in poverty by the side of a river. The boy does not want to learn his grandfather’s craft until one day he gets a magic wand from a stranger and advice on how to find both happiness and wealth. He grows into a stalwart, trustworthy young man, and his magic baskets are always full of all kinds of good things. But is it always a blessing if one has too much of everything?

The story presents the life and trade of a family of Roma trough cutters, who earn their living by cutting wooden basins. They face innumerable challenges and prejudices in their struggle to fit in. But when the village is flooded and they save the villagers’ children with their troughs, they win respect and recognition.

This is the tale of the origins of the Roma. A flock of birds living free arrives in a rich land. They feast and feast until eventually they can no longer take off. “Our claws became legs, Our wings became hands, And so we remained on the ground. Instead of the soaring into the skies. Once birds, we became people.”