SK, CZ

2016

90 min

Post production

x

X

Directing:

Synopsis

Raymond Gureme from France is a 100-year-old French 'Manouche' with an extraordinary will. He managed to escape from concentration camps a total of three times. Philomena Franz, from Germany, is a 100-year-old Sinti who survived Auschwitz. Emilie Machálková is from the Czech Republic. Her entire family perished in a concentration camp. Nadir Dedić lives in Croatia. Nadir and his wife, Amalia, are the only living witnesses to the horrific Croatian concentration camp, Jasenovac. That is where they fell in love; among maniacal murder and blood curling screams. They have been together for over 70 years. They live in a homeless shelter in Zagreb... Among the many motives and characters in our film, we can consider the above mentioned to be the main characters. We observe them as people who actively take part. We watch them in real situations, as they live with their memories or as they try to share it with others. In regards to film genres, we are dealing with a social-historical documentary and not an ethnographic film. Our protagonists’ motivation is found not in this film but in their lives. They fight for themselves as Roma and Sinti but more importantly, as human beings. We pay attention to their social and familial ties just as much as to the surroundings that they find themselves in. The only archive footage included in the film are news broadcasts. There is no voice over commentary, there are no photographs.
Rather than bringing the Sinti and Roma together, the Holocaust has managed to create a divide. The remembrance of Roma victims is sometimes more of an obligatory political move rather than an honest subconscious act. We return to places where remembrance monuments have been erected or where only empty meadows and fields are left; forgotten and overgrown with weeds.
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