‘Great piece of work. This film carefully depicts the suffering of Roma and I fully recommend it for the archive.’
Mihai Catalin Cazacu
Synopsis
Understanding the past is critical for a better future. A People Uncounted is a documentary in multiple languages about the Pharrajimos – Romani suffering during World War WII – and beyond, directed by Aaron Yeger in 2011.
The documentary comprehensively discusses not only the tragic extermination of Roma in World War II, but also examines the mechanism of genocide and ethnic cleansing. The documentary features well-known Romani scholars discussing Romani stereotypes, which are convincingly complemented in the film by visual material. This is coupled with the fresh and realistic storytelling and narrative voice. Some see a clear continuity between the past and present, with Roma discrimination manifesting in various ways such as the contemporary romanticisation and exoticisation of Roma in popular culture. The depiction of Romani characters in the documentary is painstakingly based on testimonies from survivors, building on both the richness of oral history and research conducted by experts.
Crucially, the documentary suggests that the Holocaust did not begin or end with World War II, but instead had deep historical roots and its legacies are still felt. The Holocaust took place under a particular combination of social, economic, political and cultural conditions which led to the tragic mass extermination of Roma, Jews and other victims. The documentary combines testimonies of Holocaust survivors, interviews by experts and professionals, and original footage from the past and present to warn about the social development of racism against Roma.
Lengthier interviews with survivors are conducted with a head-on frontal view, making the memories very personal and agonising; watching the survivors cry, express anger, and long for loved ones who were killed makes the viewer feel the past through someone’s personal experience. Understanding Romani history is important for debunking misconceptions about Roma, and imperative for preventing ethnic-based discrimination and killing in the future. In addition, this documentary is significant for the Roma emancipation movement too. This is an essential documentary with rich and professionally filmed footage, featuring an impressive discussion of the Roma past and present and embedding their fate in a larger historical and cultural context of social development, state control and nationalism. The director appears to be close to the communities, depicting Romani characters as everyday human beings. Not surprisingly it was well received by film critics and viewers alike.
Reception
LIM Award for Best Documentary, Foyle Film Festival, Northern Ireland
Montreal World Film Festival, Canada
Nominated for Crystal Heart, Heartland Film Festival, USA
Nominated for Golden Orchid, Hawaii International Film Festival, USA
Mumbai Film Festival, India
Nominated for Golden Key, Kassel Documentary Film Festival, Germany
Starz Denver Film Festival, USA
St. Louis International Film Festival (Human Rights Program), USA
Nominated for Social Justice Award, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, USA
International Festival of Audiovisual Programs – FIPA, France
Victoria Film Festival, Canada
International Festival of France for Human Rights – FIFDH, multiple cities
Salem Film Festival, USA
Cleveland International Film Festival, USA
Atlanta Film Festival, USA
Full Frame Documentary Festival, USA
Docudays UA Human Rights Festival, Ukraine
Athens International Film+Video Festival, USA
Toronto Jewish Film Festival, Canada
Documentary Edge Festival, New Zealand
Breckenridge Festival of Film, USA
Beldocs International Documentary Film Festival, Serbia
Shanghai International Film Festival, China
FIDH 1st Prize and the RTBF Prize, Festival des Libertés, Belgium
The Romedia Foundation: Requiem for Auschwitz Festival, Hungary
Fast Forward Film Festival, Montenegro
Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival, Detroit, USA
Zagreb Jewish Film Festival, Croatia
1st Prize, International Romani Film Festival, Hungary
Motovun Film Festival, Croatia
46th Parallel Arts Festival, Canada