Every year, I make an earnest attempt to see at least one documentary of the dozens featured at the Full Frame Festival. The films are interspersed with Question and Answer sessions with the film directors or subjects. Of the nearly five dozen films being screened at a recent festival, I settled on A People Uncounted. The topic intrigued me.
I have been to the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. In fact, I thought I knew quite a bit about the holocaust. I understood that the holocaust included other “undesirables” such as the mentally handicapped, homosexuals, some religious and political groups and Roma (Gypsies). But I have always accepted the popular notion that the group that suffered the greatest impact of the “final solution” was the Jews. A People Uncounted has me questioning the assumption that there was only one group subjected to Nazi genocide.
There is no doubt that the Jews suffered tremendously at the hands of both Hitler as well as Stalin. The elimination of six million Jews makes the 500,000 Roma killed by the Nazis seem almost trivial. But what impact did that 500,000 have on the Roma community? That is among the questions A People Uncounted seeks to answer. Speaking to historians and holocaust survivors, this documentary recounts a genocide that destroyed ninety percent of the Roma population. When placed in that context, I was astounded that I knew so little about the persecution of the Roma during World War II.
My knowledge of the Roma has always been somewhat limited. We have our own breed of Roma here in the Carolinas that we refer to as “The Travelers.” There was even a film about them starring Donnie Wahlberg many years ago. They are a vibrant, larger-than-life community of swindles and cheats. At least that is my familiarity with them. They travel the region with a variety of scams from paving driveways to roofing houses. They overcharge for superficial work that will quickly make you regret hiring them. If you allow them a few minutes unmonitored in your home, you may also find you have been relieved of some valuables. This has been the extent of my knowledge and experience with the Roma.
I also have always been under the impression that the Roma were Italian. The name Gypsy is a misnomer that indicates the Roma migrated from Egypt. However, the film described the group as having migrated from Northern India nearly 1,000 years ago. This was yet another interesting tidbit of information to broaden my amazingly limited knowledge of this oft persecuted group. The history of the Roma is presented through a variety of poetry, music and first-hand stories from holocaust survivors from eleven countries. The group includes historians, artists, activists and survivors. It is an interesting cross-section.
According to the material published by A People Uncounted, this is the first feature-length film for director Aaron Yeger, producers Marc Swenker and Tom Rasky, and executive producer Lenny Binder. That does not entirely surprise me, although I thought they handled the subject matter very well. I was a bit disappointed with some of the interviews, feeling like the subjects pulled up short, missing an opportunity to make a lasting impression. I felt that the emotional impact of the trauma these survivors suffered was lost in euphemism and vague recollections.
I also found myself struggling with my own prejudices while watching this film. Because some of the impact was drawn out of the first-hand testimony, I found myself questioning the validity of some of the experiences. This has much to do with my own personal interactions with Roma that have been exclusively negative. I have dealt with them on the level of “beggars and thieves.” Yet my understanding of the ruthless actions of the Nazis overcame my stereotypes as I lent credence to testimony I would normally be inclined to question. These experiences could have had greater impact if delivered without the reservations that clearly caused some of the witnesses to hold back. But the impact was still effective. I left the film feeling changed. Even if only in a small way.
A People Uncounted is an eye-opening film. It provides insight into the incredible suffering of the Roma as well as historical context that helps to understand the mysterious group. The film is interspersed with popular culture (films and movie) that have helped to reinforce the misunderstanding and stereotypes associated with the Roma. If you are looking for an interesting examination of the Roma people, A People Uncounted is a worthwhile film. It brings to light the plight of a people who may be the most persecuted group in Europe. 8/10.
