A Romanian Western?: Yes, it's true

The Romanian film Aferim! (I looked it up, it means Bravo!, w/ a slightly ironic twist, as we might say "nice job" sarcastically) is like an American Western set on the Romanian plains - set in 1830, follows a crusty, tough, and intemperate bounty hunter who takes his teenage son - naive, a little timid - on his first excursion as they ride off in search of an escapee - a gypsy who is wanted for having an affair with the wife of one of the tribal leaders, the Boyar as he's known, stealing some money, and taking off for the border. Their search for and capture of the runaway is full of encounters and adventures, most of them brutal not so much in physical violence as in extreme crudity of language, abuse of the weak, women especially, and racism and bigotry, primarily (but not exclusively) against the gypsies, always referred to as "crows," who live in subhuman conditions of slavery and other oppression. The movie builds toward a tremendously powerful conclusion, which I won't give away, but it puts the whole movie into a new light. The movie is difficult, no doubt, especially because of the brutality and oppression, but over its course the personalities of the father and son emerge and become more nuanced and complex as we watch them interact with each other and with others and face a major moral dilemma. The notes at the end suggest this narrative may have been based at least in part on actual events. I'd wondered if it was based on an American Western - maybe not, but I would bet someone as bought the rights to re-make this in English (could also imagine this as a Kurosawa movie) and if done w/ the same integrity and courage it could reach a much wider audience.