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Reviews
Eldra (2002)
Eldra and the Welsh Gypsy musical tradition
I saw Eldra at Welsh Heritage Week in 2005, which was held in Golden, Colorado that year. We had the delightful experience of not only viewing the film, but an opportunity to listen to the beautiful music (and bad jokes) of Robin Huw Bowen. Bowen is the premier player of the triple harp in the world today.
Bowen studied with Eldra Roberts Jarman and he has carried into the modern world the traditional music that she knew and preserved. Eldra was from a very musical family of Gypsies/Romany in North Wales. Her grandfather, aunts, and 9 of 10 uncles were prize- winning professional harpists.
My experience of the film is that it captures the sweetness of first love, and also exposes racial and religious prejudice that is both local and universal.
Eldra won at the previous year's Moondance International Film Festival in Boulder, Colorado.