Searching for the 4th Nail (2009)

• 90%
• 2009
• Documentary

Follow George Eli, an American Gypsy, as he turns his camera on the secret life of his Romani culture. As we see through his 8mm family footage, growing up Gypsy was 'a pretty good life-' carefree and lawless. Eli's journey begins when his two sons ask 'what does it mean to be a Gypsy?" He has no clear answer beyond what he's learned from movies and TV. Eli and his sons begin a quest for the truth. City by city, the roots of old ways begin to reveal themselves as an intricate tapestry of tradition - and oppression. Eli's sons light up the screen with their youthful perspective on very heavy subjects. From the Holocaust Museum to Hollywood, from ancient India to Ellis Island. George and his sons are always fun on screen, although they confront negative stereotypes and uncover a terrible history of persecution, finally realizing that the only way out is the main thing that their Gypsy community avoids: conventional education.