Tony Gatlif, Pioneering Figure of Romani Cinema, Passes Away at 77

The European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) expresses its deep sorrow at the passing of Tony Gatlif, acclaimed filmmaker, composer, screenwriter, actor and producer, and a distinguished member of the ERIAC Barvalipe Academy between 2018 and 2021. Tony Gatlif died in Arles on 2 September 2026, at the age of 77, while working on a new historical film project.

Born in Algeria in 1948, Gatlif came to France as a young person and built a remarkable artistic career. From the beginning of his filmmaking journey, he turned his attention towards Roma lives and experiences. Through films including Latcho Drom (1993), Gadjo Dilo (1997), Vengo (2000), and Korkoro (2009), Gatlif developed a distinctive cinematic language revolving around Romani culture and history.

His 2004 film Exils earned him the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival, confirming his place among the most significant European filmmakers of his generation. He was also made a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in 2015.

At a time when Roma communities were, and continue to be, too often represented through stereotypes, Gatlif insisted on Roma humanity, complexity and artistic agency. He brought Roma music and culture into cinemas and cultural spaces across the world, while refusing to separate art from questions of dignity, identity and freedom. This complexity remains one of his greatest contributions to Roma cultural representation.

Tony’s passing is therefore a profound loss, not only for his family, friends and colleagues, and for the world of cinema, but for the wider Roma cultural movement. At ERIAC, we will remember him as an artist who opened doors for Roma stories to be seen and heard, and as someone who understood the transformative power of art. 

ERIAC extends its deepest condolences to Tony Gatlif’s family, loved ones, collaborators and the many people whose lives and work he touched.

Cover photo ©Urs Flueeler/KEYSTONE/dpa