Swing

2002 1h 30m FR

👍

7.2

SOLID

🍅

83%

FRESH

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★7.2TMDB · 22🍅83%Rotten Tomatoes★7.2IMDB · 1,082

ComedyDramaMusic

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In a suburb of Strasbourg, Alsace, France, ten year old boy, Max, spends his summer vacation with his grandmother. He hears Manouche gypsy Romani music being played in a local bar, and loves it. He goes to visit the gypsies in search of a guitar, where he meets a young Romani tomboy, 'Swing'. She introduces Max to her gypsy community who live in caravans and down-at-heel public housing. Over several days, Max is taken into the community to witness Romani lifestyle, traditions, knowledge of plants, and particularly their Manouche music. Max is particularly fascinated by Miraldo, the Romani guitarist he first heard in the bar, and asks to take guitar lessons with him (Miraldo is played by one of the greatest guitarists of gypsy jazz, Tchavolo Schmitt).

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Oscar Copp
Max
Lou Rech
Swing
Tchavolo Schmitt
Miraldo
Mandino Reinhardt
Mandino
Abdellatif Chaarani
Khalid
Fabienne Mai
Max's grandmother
Ben Zimet
Dr. Liberman
Marie Genin
Max's mother

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tony Gatlif
Writers: Tony Gatlif
Languages: French
Countries: France, Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 24 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, Japan.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tony Gatlif, shot by Claude Garnier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Abdellatif Chaarani. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Monique Dartonne shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Oscar Copp and Lou Rech and Tchavolo Schmitt carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tony Gatlif directs. Claude Garnier behind the camera. Abdellatif Chaarani scores. Monique Dartonne cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France, Japan. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 24 years ago.
3International production across 2 countries: France, Japan.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Tony Gatlif, shot by Claude Garnier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Abdellatif Chaarani. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Monique Dartonne shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Oscar Copp and Lou Rech and Tchavolo Schmitt carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0307538 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 22 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.