There is an upcoming new documentary by director/producer Michael Rainin that is about the past and present of Roma music. And what’s better, it is narrated by famed actor Michael Madsen. Run Raven Run depicts how venerable traditions are turned upside down by new movements being spawned inside inaccessible ghettos. It shows the rise of youth culture to redefine outdated values of society. And its soundtrack is off the charts! Viewers, young or old, attracted to any of these elements of storytelling will want to watch Run Raven Run.
Rainin tells us, “As we wake up to a new era of civil rights movements like Black Lives Matter, we can see the same forces at work within the Gypsy diaspora. Gypsies have not been given respect as co-equal members of society, but their prodigious musical contributions are undeniable. And yet, the Gypsies are still the dark ones … chastised as dirty ravens that would pick dead meat from the ground. Our Gypsy protagonists have learned to fly. Despite a historical legacy of being dealt the dark cards of slavery, holocaust and poverty, music has always been the winning hand for Gypsy survival. From the deserts of Rajasthan to the ghettos of Bucharest, Run Raven Run explores the resounding pain and pleasure that emanates from the unvanquished soul of Gypsy music.”
The upcoming music documentary is set to start premiering later this year at various festivals around the world.