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ROMA STORIES

TV CONTROL CENTER Kiprou 91A, Kipseli |  23.11.2022, 20:00 – 22: 00 | Admission Free

 

Gypsies or Roma people are members of one of the most populous minorities in Europe and they are often victims of extreme racist prejudices and assaults because of their lifestyle and culture. Their fundamental human rights are violated systematically and they have been victims from the time of the Holocaust until the last crisis in Kosovo. In Greece, according to government sources, they are about 100.000 Roma, although the  Greek Helsinki Monitor estimates that they are 300-350.000. Although they have been living with us for almost 600 years, how much do we know about the Roma people? In cinema, Roma people are portrayed as exotic, mysterious beings, full of passion, focusing on their delinquency or their “care free” lifestyle, restricting them in cliché behaviors and depriving them the right to their own voice.  During the Symposium a selection of short documentaries will be presented where the Romani speak with their own voice and through the eyes of others, raising questions about the problems and challenges they face. The screening will be followed by a discussion with mr. Kostas Paiteris, President of the Greek Union of Roma Mediators & Collaborators,  to reflect on the stereotypes and prejudices that follow the Romani people until today.

The gypsy and the death

David Lužar | Slovenia | Documentary | 2019 | 20’  35’’

Gypsy Osman lived a long and venturous life. One evening, just as he is getting ready for bed, Old Lady Death pays him a visit.

Active (citizen)

Piotr Goldstein, Jan Lorenz | Serbia | Documentary | 2020 | 30’ 00’’

An intimate look at the life and work of a Roma refugee from Kosovo collecting trash on the streets of Novi Sad, Serbia, ‘Active (citizen)’ is a visual ethnography focused on the material, sensorial and kinaesthetic realities of the protagonist’s work and its political and social significance – the daily activism beyond the scope of public recognition.

Music is my life

Alex Djordjevic | USA | Documentary | 2019 | 25' 45"

Out of a population of roughly 2,500 Roma people in Vladincin Han (Southeastern Serbia), less than 10 are currently employed. Even with help from several charitable organizations, this culture of unemployment is slow to improve. Many of the youth in this community will face a future of collecting recyclables, working odd jobs, or living off social welfare. While there is a growing emphasis for education among many of the families, music has always played an important role in the community when there was no other way to earn a living. Children are raised to appreciate music and many seem to be born with a natural ability to perform. Families who manage to earn income through performing are often able to reach a higher standard of living.

My gypsy road

Vilma Kartalska| Bulgaria| Documentary | 2020 | 27' 56"

An inspiring story about the winding road of the first Roma actress in Bulgaria, who officially graduated from the National Academy for Theater and Film Arts. From the everyday life’s challenges, to the sacrifices in the name of theater, and the trust in the great Roma cause – education for the ghetto. Nataliya Tsekova – THE WOMAN, THE ACTRESS, THE PERSON.

Sam Roma/We are Gypsies

Marina Danezi | Greece | 2014 | 39’ 00’’

“We are everything. Anything you want, you can find. We can be the worst and the best as people”. The Greek Roma love dancing, singing and going to  fairs. They fall in love, they elope, they get married and they have big families preserving with respect the traditions of their tribe. They are cunning traders and skillful farmers while the women can master the art of coffee and palm reading. Survival is a daily challenge and a bet to be won at all costs. Roma people are smart and  manage to get around and state with pride that “Whoever is raised in the street knows more than someone who is educated”. The lack of education triggers the cunningness of the tribe that, as they claim,  brings them one step closer to breaking the law, something that is connected with the financial crisis and the indifference of Greek politicians.