Time of the Gypsies

Time of the Gypsies (Serbo-Croatian: Дом за вешање, Dom za vešanje, lit. 'Home for Hanging') is a 1988 Yugoslav coming-of-age fantasy crime drama directed by Emir Kusturica. Filmed in Romani and Serbo-Croatian, Time of the Gypsies tells the story of a young Romani man with magical powers who is tricked into engaging in petty crime. It is widely considered to be one of Kusturica's best films. The film's shooting took place in Sarajevo, Skopje and Milan. It was selected as the Yugoslav entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 62nd Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. Time of the Gypsies is often noted for its extensive use of Romani (specifically the Balkan Romani dialect), which contributed to the film’s distinct cultural and linguistic authenticity. The film is multilingual, featuring dialogue in Romani, Serbo-Croatian, and, in parts, Italian.

The film revolves around Perhan, a Romani teenager with telekinetic powers and his passage from childhood to adulthood which starts in a little village in Yugoslavia and ends in the criminal underworld of Milan. The film deals with magic realism.