Welcome to SAQMI Play, the podcast that features queer filmmakers and filmmaking. This episode is a talk between the Swedish based filmmaker and sometimes actor Alecio Araci and Saqmi's own hostee Sam Message. The conversation took place in a packed Saqmi’s headquarter in Majorna in Göteborg and followed the screening of Alecio Araci's trilogy consisting of the short films Chavo, Mami and Lil tuke – all of them focusing on queer Roma experiences and dealing with themes such as sorrow, forgiveness, oppression, coping and traditions. In this episode of SAQMI Play we are also digging into Alecio Araci’s love for splatter and horror movies, camp, the burlesque and bizarre with some clips from a work-in-progress gore splatter comedy/mockumentary, partly shot on Super 8.
This episode is a recording of the event Nightfall - Queer Talks & Screenings #12 which took place at SAQMI May 17, 2023.
Alecio Araci has a background in DIY and underground culture and has worked diligently on both low- and high budget projects since the mid-00s. Between the years 2015 and 2018, he trained on the bachelor’s program in film at Valand Academy in Gothenburg and has since continued his creative work both in front of and behind the camera. With his love for genre films and burlesque, he constantly strives to find the balance between the bizarre and the ordinary in his works.
More about the films mentioned in the podcast:
Chavo (Swedish title: Tjena tjavo) is the opening film in a trilogy of short films in a Roma setting that deals with topics such as identity, sexuality, origin and the burden that can occur when these parameters do not match.
Short synopsis (eng/sve):
Chavo, 2023, 15 min
Tommy's grill is a meeting place for the Romani community. Here a motley crew of people gather to eat and talk. When a young man visits the restaurant one evening, rumors begin to spread and Tommy is forced to revisit traumatic memories.
Tommys grill är en mötesplats för den romska gemenskapen. Här samlas en tajt sammansvuren men brokig skara människor för att äta och snacka gott. När en ensam ung man besöker restaurangen en kväll sätter ryktena igång och Tommy tvingas tillbaka till traumatiska minnen.
Tjena tjavo vill öppna upp en diskussion om identitet, sexualitet, ursprung och bördan som kan uppstå när dessa parametrar inte klaffar. Men Tjena tjavo är också en film med många allmänmänskliga teman - att misslyckas som förälder, försoning efter ett svek, att våga lämna sin invanda världsbild och bilda sin egen uppfattning, att ta ansvar för sina felsteg och våga återvända till livet efter en stor sorg.
Facts: Original title: Tjena tjavo. Film type: Short. Category: Fiction. Director: Alecio Araci. Producers: Alicia Hansen & Bitte Andersson. Screenplay: Alecio Araci. Production country: Sweden. Production company: French Quarter Film AB. Classification: Suitable for all audiences. Dialogue: Swedish & Romany. Cast: Michell Tatter Alfredsson, Ado Mehic Dzafic, Rosmari Kaldaras, Ardijan Bunjoshi, Paul Dandos, Philip Torres Örning.
Extra:
Kurke Deteharin - song from Chavo/Tjena tjavo (eng/swe)
Jaj de kurke deteharin, muro kham sa kalilas
Gero jilo sar angar, i jag ande mande mulas
Jaj de sostar Dadeja, tu chi kames man?
Zhanav kaj chi sim me kodo chavo so tu manglan
Jaj le bare Devlestar, kasavo kerdjilem me
Sakhade von man prasan
Pala mande chungaren, vi man kushen
Tuke feri ladzh bari andem me khere
Chira mesaljate majbut le Rom chi aven te beshen
Jaj mansa so te kerav shukara Devla?
Andi ushalin dud naj, o korkoripe but dukhal
Lel man i lachi lindra
Sovavtar, pale chi ushtav
Akanak Dade dav man la phuvjake man te xal
Söndag morgon, min sol mörknade.
Arma hjärta svart som sot, elden i mig dog
Pappa, varför älskar du inte mig?
Jag vet att jag inte är den där sonen som du önskade
Den stora Guden skapade mig såhär
Ändå hånar de mig.
De bespott
