The Nomads have no national debt.

May 11, 2021 — On January 1st, Croatia became one of a small handful of European countries welcoming digital nomads through the introduction of a long-stay …

🎬 Nomads: Movie Treatment

Logline

When the asphalt-scorching Hell’s Angels, escorting rock legends AC/DC on their final tour, violently intersect with a free-spirited Roma kumpania traveling with the gypsy-punk band Gogol Bordello, two fiercely independent cultures are forced to put aside their rivalry and unite against a common, relentless enemy: the law, the land, and the ghosts of the road.

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Synopsis

The film opens with two distinct, parallel journeys across the American Southwest:

1. THE HIGHWAY TO HELL: RED (50s, scarred, the pragmatic President of the Angels’ Chapter) leads a convoy of roaring choppers, providing security for AC/DC’s massive touring rigs. The tour is a grueling, non-stop sprint, pushing both the band and the Angels to their limits. Their code is simple: loyalty, freedom, and the open road.
2. THE CARAVAN TO CHAOS: EUGENE (40s, charismatic, Gogol Bordello’s frontman and the Kumpania‘s unofficial voice) leads a vibrant, ramshackle caravan of horses, wagons, and painted buses. They are dodging authorities, playing impromptu gigs, and seeking a promised piece of land in California—a journey defined by music, mysticism, and survival against a world that wants them gone.

The Collision

The two tribes violently collide in a dusty border town following an Angels/AC/DC concert that turns into a chaotic brawl. Both groups are now highly sought by a ruthless, state-trooper Captain Rourke, who sees them as a single threat to order.

Driven onto the same desolate, unmarked roads, Red and Eugene forge a deeply tense, but necessary, alliance. They must merge their convoys—choppers next to wagons, heavy metal next to accordion-driven punk—to survive Rourke’s escalating pursuit.

The Journey

The bulk of the film is a high-octane road movie. AC/DC’s anthems provide the raw, explosive energy for the Angels’ runs, while Gogol Bordello’s frenetic, soulful tunes become the heartbeat of the caravan.

• Conflict & Clashes: Cultural misunderstandings lead to explosive arguments and near-fatal splits. The Angels mock the “old ways”; the Romani scoff at the Angels’ obsession with chrome and rules.
• Moment of Truth: A massive roadblock forces them to choose between fighting or using the Romani’s ancient knowledge of the land to navigate the desert. The final act sees both tribes fully integrated, using their combined strengths—the Angels’ speed and muscle, the Romani’s resourcefulness and camouflage—to escape Rourke in a spectacular chase culminating at their destination.

Themes

• The Price of Freedom: Exploring what true freedom costs—whether paid in rebellion (Angels) or perseverance (Romani).
• The Two Faces of the Outsider: The inherent parallels between two groups who define their existence outside of mainstream society.
• The Universal Language: The unifying, disruptive, and liberating power of rock and punk music.

Key Characters

• RED (The Biker): The President. A man weighed down by the responsibility of his Chapter, he is skeptical but recognizes the tactical brilliance of the Romani.
• EUGENE (The Gypsy-Punk): The Leader. A musician and a mystic. He uses humor and passion to navigate danger and convince his kumpania to trust the ‘gaje’ (non-Romani) bikers.
• CAPTAIN ROURKE (The Antagonist): A State Trooper Captain obsessed with restoring order to the highways. He views both groups as pests to be eradicated, not citizens to be arrested.
• THE BANDS: AC/DC acts as the explosive backdrop, a force of nature that the Angels protect. GOGOL BORDELLO is the internal soundtrack, the soul of the resistance. The band members are often comic relief or catalysts for cultural exchange.

Tone & Style

A gritty, sun-bleached, and intensely musical cinematic experience.

• Visual Style: A mix of Mad Max for the desert sequences and the rich, saturated colors of Emir Kusturica’s films for the Romani caravan scenes.
• Pacing: Relentless. Moves from explosive action (chases, concert chaos) to intimate, character-driven campfire scenes.
• Sound: Music is a character itself. The transition between AC/DC’s raw power and Gogol Bordello’s ecstatic chaos drives the emotional beats.

Budget & Target Audience

• Budget: Mid-to-High. Requires significant action, vehicle work (motorcycles, horses, wagons), and crowd scenes/concert footage.
• Target Audience: Fans of road movies, music-driven cinema, and action/adventure. Appeals to classic rock and punk enthusiasts.