Roma Representation

I first wrote on matters of Roma representation in my Cinema of Flames: Balkan Film Culture and the Media (2001). The chapter, mainly exploring Yugoslav Roma films, (p. 2013-231),  is now available from screenstudies.com. Matters of Roma representation were also an important part of my critical monograph on director Emir Kusturica (2002). I have written various entries on matters of films depicting Roma for various encyclopedias and reference editions. There is also a brief overview, ‘Romanies: Little-known Neighbours ‘(pp. 106-108) in my book CInema of the Other Europe (2003).

I have continued returning to the theme of Roma Representation over the years, and most recently published a chapter entitled ‘A Hushed Crisis – The Visual Narratives of Eastern Europe’s Antiziganism’ (2020, In Cinema of Crisis, Edinburgh UP, pp. 260-277).

Over the years, I gave many talks on the matter in a variety of contexts across academia and film festivals, often introducing important films. I led the work of teams of international scholars and edited special issues of the journal Framework (2003) and of Third Text (2008, with Paloma Gay-y-Blasco). In 2021 I was privileged to give the keynote at the ocnference dedicated to the work of directors who have been closely invoilved with matters of Roma representation, such as Hungarian Pal Schiffer (Black Train, 1970; Gyuri, 1978) and Serbian Zelimir Zilnik at the Paris Sorbonne Nouvelle in 2021.

Here I am including some shorter writings on matters of Roma representation, as seen in films by Tony Gatlif, Zelimir ZIlnik, Radu Jude, Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze, Goran Paskaljevic, and Ivan Ostrochovsky — as well as the preface to the Framework special issue (2003).

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IMAGES OF ROMANIES IN FILM (2003)

Three Early Roma FIlms by Tony Gatlif: Corre Gitano (1981), Canta, Gitano! (1982) and Les Princes (1982)

Guardian Angel (Yugoslavia, Goran Paskaljevic, 1987)

New Romani-themed Cinema from Eastern Europe: Papusza (2013), Aferim (2015), Koza (2015), Kennedy FIlms (2003-2007)