Genre: Drama

Director: Tony Gatlif

Certificate: Transylvania was rated 15A by the Irish Film Censor's Office (www.ifco.ie) i.e. Suitable for 15 year olds.  Children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult.

Violence = moderate. Drugs = none. Sex/Nudity = mild. Language = strong.

Are you looking for a music that could inspire you?  Well, Transylvania is the gypsy tune for you.  Gypsy is the story set in Romania, gypsy is the soundtrack – mostly composed by the director himself –, and gypsy is the soul of Zingarina, the protagonist.

Parallel to the tragic story of this young woman in trouble, runs the tragicomic representation of an ancient culture – the mix of Romanian, Hungarian and Romany traditions Transylvania is made of -, plagued by poverty but kept alive by the passions of its people, of which music and dance are the strongest.

Tony Gatlif builds a fairytale image of his homeland, populated by witches and wise old men, a place where magic is made by stealing power off an electricity pylon in the countryside to light on a crystal chandelier in a snowy night – it’s what Tchangalo does for his sleeping beauty Zingarina after she’s been exorcised.  All this told with colours as vivid as those of a gypsy skirt, and with a fresh sense of humour.

Asia Argento as Zingarina is a mix of femme fatal and wild child, definitely absorbed by her cult diva image, but still truly emotionally charged, furious and moving.

Reviewed by Claudia Sandroni, Premier Movie Reviews 2007

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