Emil Lothianu, poznati filmski redatelj 1970-ih godina, proveo je više od 10 godina pišući scenarij i dobivajući dopuštenje za stvaranje svog remek-djela, filma Cigani lete u nebo. Čak i danas možemo vidjeti zašto je ovaj prekrasni mjuzikl postao svjetski hit na kinoblagajnama. Film je postigao neočekivani uspjeh u jugoslavenskim kinima 1977. godine. Redatelj filma čak je nagrađen za najboljeg redatelja na Međunarodnom filmskom festivalu „FEST“ u Beogradu.

Od svih filmova o Romima, Cigani lete u nebo vrlo je poseban zbog posvećenosti detaljima. Stotine Roma iz različitih regija Sovjetskog Saveza bili su na audiciji za glumu u filmu i pjevanje tradicionalnih pjesama.

Film je postao katalogom mnogim glazbenih dinastija ruskih Roma. Emil Lothianu htio je ostvariti suradnju različitih romskih kultura s raznih područja. Njegova ideja nije bila samo pronaći najbolje tradicionalne melodije, pjesme, rime i nastupe, nego ih sve spojiti zajedno kako bi stvorili polifoniju. Trebao je opravdati različite stilove izvedbe u filmu, stvoriti jedinstven novi stil prepoznatljiv Romima iz različitih dijelova zemlje, te učiniti Rome vrlo ponosnima što su sudjelovali u produkciji.

Redatelj filma uputio je strogi zahtjev skladatelju glazbe i cjelokupnom odjelu za zvuk da pozadinsku glazbu trebaju prihvatiti Romi diljem zemlje. Tako je proces audicije bio usmjeren na romske pjevače i glumce, talentirane i karizmatične pripadnike romskih zajednica iz različitih krajeva, autentična lica i slikovite ličnosti. Svaka pjesma i lice u filmu imali su povijest. Komorni zbor koji je izvodio pjesme u filmu kombiniran je sa simfonijskom glazbom. Bila je to jedinstvena polifonija u kojoj je kombinirano nekoliko tradicija odjednom. To je stvorilo eklektični glazbeni stil koji se savršeno nadopunjavao s dizajnom romskih haljina i ukrasima u romskim naseljima.

Jedan od likova napisan je upravo za Dmitrija Buzileva – jednog od najpoznatijih i najtalentiranijih romskih umjetnika tog vremena. Dmitry Buzylev bio je  sibirski Rom, istinski čuvar romske narodne kulture, pjesnik, tekstopisac, skladatelj i briljantan izvođač romskih romansi. Uz Dmitrija u filmu su glumile i njegove 3 sestre i petero braće. Svi su oni sudjelovali u snimanju pjesama zbog obiteljskog naslijeđenog talenta za glazbu i izvođenje. Najmlađa sestra imala je samo 8 godina. Na audiciji je toliko impresionirala redatelja da je on odmah naredio da se za nju napiše pjesma koju će otpjevati u filmu. Djevojčica je svojom blistavom osobnošću i snažnim glasom očarala brojne filmske gledatelje!

Za Radu, glavnu žensku ulogu, Emil Lothianu je planirao uzeti romsku glumicu i raspisao je audicije diljem zemlje. Lothianu je već bio poznati moldavski redatelj i ostvario je međunarodni uspjeh. Nakon nekoliko sjajnih filmova snimljenih u Kišinjevu, prvi put mu je ponuđeno da napravi film s Mosfilmom – glavnim i najvećim filmskim studijem Sovjetskog Saveza. Godine 1975. bila je čast i odlična prilika glumiti u filmu Emila Lothianua. Posebno u glavnoj ulozi. Međutim, sve su romske glumice odbile glumiti Radu nakon što su pročitale scenarij. Glumiti nekoga tko puši lulu, smije se muškarcima, skida se u filmu i zavodi Zobara u različitim scenama bilo je neprihvatljivo većini glumica tog vremena. U sovjetskim filmovima 1970-ih nije bilo gotovo nijedne scene u kojoj su glumci goli. Za romske je žene to bio još veći problem. Umjerenost, ponos i dostojanstvo bili su prevažni za budući obiteljski život. Zbog tog je razloga Svetlana Toma, moldavska glumica, dobila ulogu. Međutim, Lothianu ju je zvao na audiciju 3 puta. Htio se uvjeriti da ne griješi uzimajući glumicu koja nije Romkinja.

Cijela je zemlja bila zapanjena ljepotom i temperamentom Svetlane Tome još nekoliko godina prije. Bila je muza Emila Lothianua cijelo desetljeće i ljudi su je voljeli. Međutim, tijekom 3 mjeseca na Karpatima, na snimanju filma Cigani lete u nebo, ona je također morala zaraditi poštovanje Roma i dokazati da je dovoljno talentirana da predstavlja snažan lik Romkinje.

Svetlana Toma učila je od Karpatskih Roma svaki dan. Kopirala je njihove geste, poseban način hoda, plesne pokrete i intonacije. Svetlana je kopirala i kako podići obrvu, pitala kako bi Romkinja trebala glumiti. Učila je brzo i lako je stekla poštovanje Roma na filmskom setu. Nitko nije ni posumnjao da nije Romkinja nakon što je film izašao. Uspjeh filma donio je Svetlani Tomi titulu "glavne Romkinje" Sovjetskog Saveza, mnoštvo nagrada s mnogih filmskih festivala, međunarodno priznanje i početak njezine karijere u Europi. To je bio jedinstven slučaj za glumicu iz SSSR-a.

Najteži dio snimanja filma bila je scena u kojoj Rada i Zobar padaju i potok, i Rada skida odjeću kako bi ju osušila. Na ekranu je to lagana ljetna scena, ali u stvarnosti je filmska ekipa tu scenu snimala u kasnu jesen u planinskoj rijeci. Voda je bila toliko hladna, a temperatura zraka toliko niska da je Svetlani Tomi iz ustiju izlazila para dok je govorila. Vizažisti su glumcima nanijeli debeli sloj guščje masti po cijelom tijelu kako bi izbjegli smrzavanje. Snimatelji su nekoliko puta zamolili za prestanak snimanja kako bi Svetlana pojela malo leda koji bi zaustavio paru koja joj je izlazila iz usta dok je govorila. Nije ni čudo da se prehladila tog istog dana i bila je teško bolesna sljedećih nekoliko tjedana. Ipak, baš ova scena učinila je Svetlanu Tomu najhrabrijom i najpoželjnijom ženom SSSR-a tog vremena. Scena golotinje bila je šokantna za kinematografiju Sovjetskog Saveza 1976. godine. To je i greška u filmu jer se prava Romkinja ne bi skinula pred muškarcem na javnom mjestu. Međutim, ostatak filma je toliko dobar da nitko nije bio protiv ove scene.

Emil Lothianu bio je istinski obožavatelj moldavskog naroda i romske zemlje. Svetlana Toma kasnije je glumila Romkinju i u njegovom filmu Lovna nesreća, temeljenom na romanu Antona Čehova Streljačka zabava. Zbog takvih je filmova redatelj nazvan posljednjim romantikom kinematografije SSSR-a.

 

 

 

 

 

Emil Lothianu, famous film director of 1970-s, spend more than 10 years writing the scenario and getting permission to create his masterpiece movie – “Cigani lete u nebo”. And even today we can see why this beautiful musical become a worldwide box-office hit. It had unprecedented success in Yugoslavia cinemas in 1977.  The movie even got the award for Best Director at the International Film Festival ‘’FEST’’ in Belgrade.

 

From all the movies about Roma, „Gypsies Are Found Near Heaven“ is very special one because of the attention to detais. Hundreds of Roma from different regions of Soviet Union been auditioned for acting in the movie and singing traditional songs.

 

The movie has become a catalog of many music dynasties of Russian Roma. Emil Lothianu wanted to create a cooperation of different Roma cultures from wide range of territories. His idea was not only to find the best traditional melodies, songs, rhymes and performances, but mix them together for creating polyphonia. It should have justified different styles of performances in the movie, create unique new style recognizable by Roma from different parts of the country, and made Roma people very proud of participating in the production.

 

A strict request from the film director to a music composer and all the sound department was that the background music and songs should be accepted by Roma people around the country. Thus, the audition process was focused on Roma singers and actors, talented and charismatic members or Roma communities from different regions, authentic faces and picturesque personalities. Every song and a face in the movie had a history. The chamber choir performing songs in the movie was combined with symphonic music. It was a unique, catchy polyphony that combined several traditions at once. It created music eclectic style which rhymes with Roma dresses designs and decorations of settlements.

 

One of the character was written exactly for Dmitry Buzylev – one of the most famous and talented Roma artists of that time. Dmitry Buzylev was a hereditary Siberian Roma, a true guardian of Roma folk culture, a poet, song writer, music composer and brilliant performer of Roma romances. Along with Dmitry there was 5 of his brothers and 3 sisters in the movie. And all of them were participating in song recordings due to family inherited talent for music and performance. The youngest sister was only 8 years old. And she impressed the film director on the audition so much, that right there he ordered to write a song exactly for her to sing in the movie. And the little girl charmed so many movie viewers by her bright personality and strong voice!

 

For Rada, the leading female role, Emil Lothianu was planning to get a Roma actress and called auditions across the country. Lothianu was already famous Moldavian film director and had international success. After a few great movies filmed in Kishinev, for the first time he was offered to create a movie with Mosfilm – the main and biggest film studio of the Soviet Union. In 1975 it would be an honor and a great opportunity to play in Emil Lothianu’s movie. Especially the leading part. But all the Roma actresses refused to play Rada after they read the script. Acting as someone who is smoking a pipe, laughing at men, getting half-naked in the movie and flirting with Zobar in different scenes was impossible for most of actresses at that time. In 1970-s there was almost no nudity on the screen in Soviet movies. But it was even bigger problem for Roma women. Modesty, pride and dignity were too important for future family life. That was the reason why Svetlana Toma – great Moldavian actress got the part. But Lothianu asked her 3 times for auditions to be absolutely sure that he is not making a mistake by taking a non-Roma actress to play Rada.

The whole country was stunned by Svetlana Toma’s beaty and temperament already a few years ago. She was Emil Lothianu’s muse for a decade and people loved her. But during 3 months in the Carpathian Mountains at the shooting of „Gypsies Are Found Near Heaven“ she also had to earn respect from Roma and proof she is talented enough to represent strong female Roma character.

 

Svetlana Toma was learning from Carpathian Romas every day. She captured their gestures, specific walk, dance movements and intonations. Svetlana asked and copied how to raise an eyebrow, how a proper Roma woman should be acting. She was learning fast and easily gained respect of Roma around the film stage. No one even doubted her being real Roma after the movie been released. The success of the movie brought to Svetlana Toma title of the “main Roma woman” of the Soviet Union, bunch of awards from many film festivals, international recognition and started her career in Europe. Which was a unique case for an actress from USSR.

The hardest part of making the movie was that scene at the river where Rada and Zobar are falling into the stream and later Rada undress herself to dry clothes. It is light summer scene on the screen. But in reality, film crew had been shooting it at the late autumn in the mountain river. The water was very cold and the air temperature so low that Svetlana Toma spoke with steam puffing out of her mouth. Make-up artists put a thick layer of geese fat on both actors all over their bodies to avoid their instant freezing. But the camera crew asked a few times to stop the filming until Svetlana eat some ice and the steam stop puffing out while she speaks. No wonder she caught a cold the same day and been heavily sick for couple of weeks. Although, this particular scene made Svetlana Toma the bravest and the most desirable woman of the USSR at that time. The nude scene was shocking for Soviet Union cinema in 1976. It is also a mistake in the movie since a real Roma girl wouldn’t undress in front of a man at a public place. But the rest of the movie is so good that no one been against this particular scene.

 

Emil Lothianu was a true admirer of Moldovian people and Roma lands. He later filmed Svetlana Toma again as a Roma woman in “A Hunting Accident”, a film based on Anton Chekhov's novel “The Shooting Party”. For such films, the film director has been called the last romantic of the USSR cinema.