Film director Tony Gatlif, author of 'Gadjo Dilo', dies aged 77
Published on 04/09/2026 - 12:35 GMT+2 The filmmaker died of a health problem while he was working in Arles, in the south of France, on a historical film project. Health...
Published on 04/09/2026 - 12:35 GMT+2
The filmmaker died of a health problem while he was working in Arles, in the south of France, on a historical film project.
Health Minister Catherine Pégard paid tribute to him, saying in a tweet that he had "a taste for byways, for borders that fade away, for lives we look at far too little".
Tony Gatlif directed 25 films, including "Gadjo Dilo" with Romain Duris (1997) and "Exils" (2004, best director award at Cannes).
The filmmaker was fond of social stories and Gypsy culture. His films often feature flamenco and Gypsy music.
Tony Gatlif was born Michel Dahamani on 10 September 1948, to a Kabyle father and a Gypsy mother.
During a police check, when he was about twelve, he decided to change his name to avoid being sent back to Algeria. He chose Gatlif, the name of a green space in Algiers.
After a spell in a young offenders' institution, he was sent back to the Camargue.
"I have waged a battle against my destiny, against myself, and that is no small thing," he told AFP in 2021. "From the moment I set foot in the Camargue, I began to listen, and that has to do with the respect with which people spoke to me, without prejudice," he added.
