The main idea of this project is to support and nurture the process through which people can start to know about the Roma culture as it really is, beyond all the prejudices, misconceptions and rhetoric, by simply giving voice to those who belong to the culture itself.

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OPRE ROMA!

THE MOVIE

The film retraces the origins, history, habits and traditions of the Roma people but also tells the direct experience of some of the people who belong to it. Also history, art, music, culture and everyday life are shown for the intent to make known the reality of the Roma in order to not reducing it, as it usually happens, to social problems and negative events.

The movie is divided into two "parts" that will alternate and intertwine:

- the first is of a purely cultural-historical nature

- the second is biographical and focused on the living testimonies of some Roma people, which will introduce both normal and exceptional stories, often marked by a difficult past related to the ethnic/cultural identity but also by a positive epilogue.

DIRECTOR: Paolo Bonfanti

SUBJECT, D.O.P and EDITING: Paolo Bonfanti

Riprese Video: Paolo Bonfanti, Massimo Corsini, Luca Geneletti

Duration: 64 min

THE PROTAGONISTS

“My name is Rasid, I’m 26, I am a puppet maker and I am Rom. Sometimes being Rom is like being in a box. A box I didn’t decide to be in. The others put me in there. And when I look at myself in this box, I see people that don’t look like me, they are different, speak other languages, have other habits. But at the end, we all are inside this box, ‘cause “ROM” means “MAN”

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OPRE ROMA ON FACEBOOK

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THE PROJECT

PURPOSE

The aim of the project is to shoot a movie about the Roma culture in an innovative way, by the direct and unique stories of the Roma, through their own voices. The goal we want to achieve is to build up documentary as a means that has both a great historical and cultural value and a socio-educational usefulness to be used by all those that are interested in committing to the themes of intercultural education and integration.

HOW AND WHY THE PROJECT WAS BORN:

Despite it has always been the subject of suspicion and harassment , persecution and genocide ,the Roma population is one of the oldest minorities of the old continent and among the most dynamic and rooted .

Yet we don’t really know anything about them and their culture. It is also very common that the CAGGE (the NON-ROMA) speak about the Roma’s issues. It is in fact unlikely that the Roma tell about themselves firsthand.

Without denying the complexities related to the reality of this people, and with no rhetoric , we are convinced that knowledge is the most important thing to facilitate being close and understanding to other peoples. This would help to recognize the common humanity of people beyond their group identity and fight the stereotypical categorization processes and consequent dehumanization .

"Opre ROMA!" was born from Paolo Bonfanti’s idea to create tools and opportunities through which the Roma culture gets to be known for what it really is, beyond the clichés and by giving space and voice to the life testimonies of people who are part of it.

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PUBLIC SCREENING:

"Opre Roma!" is an independent documentary, self produced and self distributed.

If you're interested to organize a public screening, contact me to this e.mail address:

info@opreroma.it

Public screening already happened

AUTHOR AND DIRECTOR

Paolo Bonfanti, freelance videomaker from the province of Bergamo. Born in 1972, Paolo is a graphic designer and illustrator with a passion for movies. He started his career as a videomaker in 2011 with the short film "Direttissimo". Thanks to this first work, Paolo gets to know – and then begins an ongoing collaboration and friendship - Massimo Zamboni (CCCP-CSI) which led to the realization of the movie "30 years of Orthodoxy", a movie about the 30-year career of the artist from Emilia. In addition to the production of video clips, commercials and corporate videos, he has always been passionate about social issues and is always trying to highlight through his work. His first approach to the Roma world was with the eclectic musician Santino Spinelli, which his movie "Alexian - a Rom artist" (2015) is about.

from Backstage