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Retracing the Romani diaspora, Jasmine Dellal's documentary (originally titled When the Road Bends) follows five gypsy music groups on an omnibus tour through the U.S. and back to their home countries of Spain, Romania, Macedonia and India. The idea, to establish the cultural and ethnic bonds that link these disparate (and different-sounding) ensembles is an intriguing one, but the movie spreads itself far too thin, and the cross-cutting between tour and homeland is restless and often without apparent motivation. The musical performances, especially those by the Romanian group Taraf de Haïdouks (Band of Brigands) are often thrilling, which makes it all the more unfortunate that we never get to hear a single song in its entirety. Common threads, like a devotion to community, do emerge from Caravan's tangle: Taraf's musicians support an entire Romanian village, and the Macedonia singer Esma Redzepova has taken 47 adopted children under her ample wings. But the movie is scattershot when it means to be boisterous, reaching out in a dozen directions and connecting in too few of them.  —Sam Adams

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Official Site: www.gypsycaravanmovie.com

Rating:	No Rating
Director:	Jasmine Dellal
Cast:	Esma Redzepova, Antonio El Pipa, Flamenco Ensemble, Taraf de Haidouks, Maharaja, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Johnny Depp
Release Date:	June 15, 2007 (Limited)
Running Time:	110
Distributor:	Shadow Distribution
Producer:	Jasmine Dellal
Genre:	Documentary, Musical

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