This documentary was decently directed by Carmen Chaplin, Charles Chaplin's granddaughter, and explores, like never before, the personality of Charles Chaplin , recalling the great figure of her grandfather and revealing his unknown Romani origins. Thus, it investigates the possible Romani ancestry of the great comedian, referencing the multitude of letters he received , but focusing on one written by Jack Hill, which acknowledged his Romani birth. This letter was kept as a treasure by Chaplin in his nightstand, and he never showed it to anyone. The letter was discovered by his children after the actor's death and revealed that he was not born in London, but in the Romani settlement of Black Patch, on the outskirts of Birmingham. Based on this discovery, Michael Chaplin, one of the artist's eldest son, embarks on a journey through Europe to find out the obscure family roots and delve into how Romany ancestry influenced his father's life and work. And other children also appear, giving insight into these origins, such as Christopher Chaplin, and the more famous Geraldine Chaplin , who played in "Zhivago" was married to director Carlos Saura. Along with the opinions of great artists such as director Emir Kusturica whose films usally show the gypsy world, Claire Bloom , who played "Limelight" alongside the genius, or Johnny Depp, whose interview is conducted in a gypsy wagon he owned since he played a gypsy in Sally Potter's film: "The Man who Cried".
For all of this, one of the main participants in the documentary is Michael Chaplin, who attempts to explore his family's origins. In fact, as a child, he performed a succulent role for his father in the film " A King in New York" . Although it seems that Charles Chaplin's ancestors were two music-hall singers, they divorced and his mother suffered from mental problems. So, Charles and his older brother Sidney Chaplin were abandoned, ending up in an orphanage where they suffered all kinds of deprivation, ailments and extreme hunger. There are also priceless documentary still of Charlie Chaplin and his family, his wife Oona, and his eight children. There are also images of Chaplin, completely moved and dancing joyfully while a gypsy band sings and dances.
Of course, several scenes from short and feature films that Chaplin acted in and directed are included, in which he partially reveals his free and gypsy spirit. These include the shorts: " Charlot vagabond", "The Pilgrim", "Night at the theatre", " The Pilgrim", and the feature films: " The Kid", "The Circus", "The Gold Rush", "Modern Times", "City Lights, "A King in New York", and his best and most popular, "The Great Dictator", starred Paulette Goddard, Chaplin's wife at the time.
