Zigeunermuziek doet pijn

Eating, sleeping and playing music. In his childhood, these constituted the life of violin player Nello Mirando. His father, the famous Tata Mirando, sometimes locked his son up in his small room. Little Nello, as a three-year-old the youngest violinist in the Netherlands, must practice. At the beginning of the film, Nello feels old and depressed. Due to a congenital spinal marrow disorder, he can only play with two and a half fingers. He is addicted to his violin, which spurs him on, but he does not derive much pleasure from performing anymore. As a matter of fact, he says with a tormented look in his eyes, he has always been lonely. After successful surgery, however, he suddenly turns into a different, much happier person. In this captivating portrait, Nello Mirando exposes his bare self, both playing music and recounting. 'When he plays, he tells a story', his proud father claims. Lyrically, Nello talks about all his passions: music, bicycle racing and cooking. The virtuoso will never denounce his gypsy descent, even though he now lives in an Amsterdam apartment.