Filmmaker Raphael Treza traveled to northern India to spend three months living with an ancient tribe called the Kalbeliya. Cobra Gypsy is a vivid and insightful document of this journey. The Kalbeliyas are a very dynamic people. They are passionate about life and colorful customs. Although many of them had never met a foreigner before Treza arrived at their camp, the tribe members seemed unprepared for the enthusiasm for sharing their culture.
The tribe does well in the often inhospitable surroundings. Among swarms of bees and poisonous lizards, they seek out one of the tribe’s most important symbols – the cobra. In one particularly revealing sequence in the film, Treza is taken on a field trip to hunt cobras, which are common in the area. Once captured, cobras are exhausted from their deadly venom. Sometimes their public displays are for the money. Gypsies also learn to interact with reptiles from an early age and incorporate them into ritual dances.
Music also plays a vital role in defining Kalbeliyas culture. Treza’s cameras documented the festivities at the annual two-day festival, where hundreds of families danced unfettered from dusk to dawn to celebrate Krishna’s name. The energetic and pulsating beats throughout the film help to capture the thriving spirit of the community it documents. Camp is judged by the upbeat tunes of Song of Eternity.
The marriage was arranged from an early age and the couple remained in touch until their deaths. We observe the ritual beauty of a Kalbeliyas wedding, with the groom dressed in bold botanicals and spices, guests arriving at the bride’s home led by a roving disc jockey, and dancing well into the night.
Cobra Gypsy gives viewers the opportunity to witness behaviors and customs never before captured on camera. The filmmaker’s point of view is unassuming, and we benefit from having a brief but brilliant moment in Kalbeliyas’ presence.
Director Raphael Treza
