- The short film Proud Roma is being released in the framework of the Proud Roma Free Europe campaign
- Communicating messages of Roma pride and inspired by Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator, award-winning Romani film director Pablo Vega wrote and directed the short film
- Proud Roma will premiere on 25 January, 2022 at Babylon in Berlin as well as online
Produced as part of the Proud Roma Free Europe campaign, the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture – ERIAC is pleased to release the short film Proud Roma, written and directed by award-winning Spanish-Romani filmmaker Pablo Vega, and starring Alina Serban and contemporary dancer Tony Gabarry.
Inspired by the 1940 film The Great Dictator – created by and starring Charlie Chaplin, who unbeknownst to many was of Roma origin – Proud Roma reflects the richness and diversity of the Roma nation. The film challenges dominant historical narratives and negative stereotypes of Roma – Europe’s largest ethnic minority and a nation without borders – while recalling the many cultural and historical contributions Roma have made to Europe over the centuries. Proud Roma is a contemporary Roma manifesto and a tribute to Roma pride and cultural heritage.
Director Pablo Vega’s work has been screened at film festivals worldwide. In 2010 he premiered his documentary Romnia. Roma women from Huesca, a portrait of four Roma women living in Spain. His latest work Proud Roma features a full Roma cast, with award-winning actress, playwright and director Alina Serban from Romania playing the lead role. A pioneer in Roma feminist political theatre, Alina embodies the role of the Roma dignity; Charlie Chaplin’s character is portrayed by dancer, choreographer and actor Tony Gabarry from Spain.
Launched earlier this year by ERIAC with the support of the Open Society Roma Initiatives Office (RIO), and run in partnership with a transnational coalition of national Roma grassroots organizations as well as the Roma Education Fund (REF) and the Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI), the Proud Roma Free Europe campaign seeks to inspire pride in Roma identity and encourage Roma civic participation.
FILM PREMIERE – 25 JANUARY, BERLIN
The international premiere of the short film Proud Roma will take place on 25 January, 2022 at Babylon in Berlin before a live audience, followed by a roundtable discussion with the film creators. The event will be streamed online on ERIAC’s social media. Additionally, Tony Gabarry, the lead dancer impersonating Charlie Chaplin in the film, will perform live on stage to complement the program. A small reception with snacks and drinks will follow.
PROGRAM
19:30-20:00
Arrival
20:00-20:15
Opening performance by Tony Gabarry TBC
Welcome by Timea Junghaus, executive director, European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture – ERIAC
Welcome by Timothy Grossman, director, Babylon
20:15
PREMIERE OF PROUD ROMA FILM (10 MIN)
20:25
Roundtable discussion with:
Pablo Vega, award-winning director and writer
Gonzalo Montano, writer, musicologist and researcher
Alina Serban, award-winning actress, director and writer
Anna Mirga-Kruszelnicka, deputy director, ERIAC
Moderated by Jake Bowers, journalist, producer and filmmaker
21:25-22:00
Reception in the foyer of Babylon
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED for those attending the premiere in person via https://eriac.org/proud-roma-film-premiere-registration/.
***Due to current Covid regulations, all guests will need to comply with 2G+ requirements (2G-PLUS RULE : ONLY FULLY VACCINATED OR RECOVERED PEOPLE WHO CAN ALSO PRESENT THE NEGATIVE RESULT OF A RAPID ANTIGEN TEST OR A PCR TEST CAN TAKE PART IN EVENTS WHERE THE 2G-PLUS RULE APPLIES. FOR PEOPLE WITH A BOOSTER VACCINATION, THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL TEST REQUIREMENT WITH 2G-PLUS.
Find out more on the event page and check out the newest Proud Roma trailer:
