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Gogol Bordello's Eugene Hutz Excavates His Roots in 'Pied Piper of Hutzovina'
- Posted on May 6th 2010 1:30PM by Marina Galperina
The New York-based band Gogol Bordello made their name as a wild act of cultural fusion and raucous live shows, which feature crowd-surfing on a drum and belting out a trans-continental concoction of "immigrant punk." But before all this, frontman Eugene Hutz was a young man in Ukraine whose Gypsy grandmother made him into a passionate Roma culture lover. Smitten by Hutz's charisma, filmmaker Pavla Fleischer proposed they take a documented trip back to Ukraine, retrace Hutz's roots and visit the places from which his strongest influence -- Gypsy music -- hails from. Pavla's proposal to make 'Pied Piper of Hutzovina' was an obvious ploy for Hutz's heart, but the romantic drama of partially-requited attraction fades to the background of their travels. From the Gyspy villages of Karpaty to his hometown Kiev, Hutz is on a mission. Thanks to our friends at SnagFilms, you're invited.
Pavla asks Hutz whether he visited the Gypsy camps before and he retorts: "Where do you find this girl? She puts me in a movie and doesn't know anything about me?" At the camps Hutz visited as a child, he now hears medleys of Gypsy songs versions of which he fanatically collected over the years. Pavla dances with the kids, Hutz duets, but the reality of the impoverished camp as a village ghetto is sobering. It sets the background tension of the film: What is cultural influence?
The journey continues as Hutz travels to Kiev to meet the director of the National Gypsy Theatre in Kiev and his idol, performer Sasha Kolpakov. Hutz tries to entice them with his experimental brew of music at the time -- Gypsy Hip Hop. One shuts him down brutally as a culture butcher while the other, over shots, approves of Hutz helping to popularize Gypsy music, in whatever method or form that works.
Eventually, Hutz and Pavla end up on a shattered cement stoop near the dilapidated Kiev high-rise where Hutz grew up. Hutz sinks into pleasant nostalgia, strumming his guitar and amusing drunk passerby locals. He walks through the "spiritual motherland" of hallways and introduces the grand matriarch of his heart, the fabled Grandma Shura. Then, it's back to the stage, the international hybrid rock show and the infectious energy that makes concert injuries worth it, whether or not you're able to tell what exactly "it" is or where it comes from.
Though the filmmaker did not ultimately romance the rock star, she explored his identity and produced memorable vérité snippets. Part docu-portrait, part road movie, the film is a fun, lo fi trip. Check it out below.
- Filed under: Movies
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Lynne
I am charmed by this film, these people and this music.
I had gradually lost my ability to respond to music of today because popular music has changed so much over time, but I can't go back to moon, June and spoon either. This music made me want to sing and move my feet. It made me feel (dare I say it?)happy.
Abbie
JUST SAW THEM LAST SATURDAY amazing band I've been a fan for years I absolutely adore them cant wait to see them again july 31st!!!
May 08 2010 at 1:42 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
revivalman
1 reply to revivalman's comment
"Gogol Bordello's Eugene Hutz Excavates His Roots in 'Pied Piper of Hutzovina'".........just trying to say the title of this story is indicative of everything that's wrong with Spinner.....and perhaps the whole world.
May 08 2010 at 1:27 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
mcharlie1w
qiangliqiu, why don't you give it up? No one wants to read your bragging story about how rich you are. If you are having trouble meeting the right one, maybe you aren't looking in the right places. It's been my experience in life that we seem to get what we expect, so maybe you should concentrate on thinking about the kind of woman you would like to meet and not spend so much time writing inappropriate comments on these Sites. In other words, Get a Life!
May 08 2010 at 1:18 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
mcharlie1w
I have known various Gypsys and learned something of their Culture. Some avoid sending their children to school because they don't want them to become "Americanized". This is possible because they move a lot and the Children "slip through the cracks" They purchase their wives, a pretty virgin Gypsy girl can cost as much as $20,000. Of course that is for the first "marriage". They tend to have multiple marriages. They don't marry legally. I don't know about other states but here in California the goal is for the women to collect Aid for Dependent Children (AFDC) which of course includes Medi-Cal and the fathers get on some type of disability if possible. The men specialize in doing body work on automobiles. If you have been approached by a man offering to "pull the dents" out of your car you can bet he is a Gypsy. The ones I have known are charismatic and charming. I like the ones I have known but I would never trust one of them They even like to cheat each other. I think it is something of a game for them. Some of the women are Fortune Tellers. I can sympathize with them, after all their culture in the past was to live in Caravans on the road, moving from place to place and earning money as Horse Traders. I have always thought that is why they specialize in working on automobiles, the idea is essentially the same, transportation.
May 08 2010 at 12:57 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Chris
I first heard of them when Y! started using their song "Start Wearing Purple" on their ad campaign. They are cool. Weird, but cool.
May 08 2010 at 11:57 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Escalonz
To this day, no one really know where these people came from but the popular belief is northern India. They are indeed mysterious and there is even rumors they are not indigenous to this planet, UFOs any one? LOL
May 08 2010 at 11:48 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
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