The Roma Portraits project aimed at reducing cultural invisibility and mapping the cohabitation of Roma and non-Roma. This complex project included the realization of a documentary film about Roma life entitled “From me you can learn – Six portraits of Roma from the region of Cristuru Secuiesc” (directed by Lakatos Miska) and the organization of a photo exhibition entitled “Unmasked” (photographer: Márkos Tamás). The initiative was made possible thanks to the success in a competition of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).
About a quarter of the population of the Cristuru Secuiesc region is Roma. 10% of them live in extreme poverty. Compared to other regions of Szeklerland (where pogroms against Roma have also taken place), coexistence in the Cristuru Secuiesc area is relatively peaceful. Institutions are common and mixed marriages are not uncommon. However, exclusion is present and almost every Roma tries to escape it. But the paths to liberation are diverse. Some try to preserve their identity based on traditions. Others want to unite the Roma community. Many try to integrate into the majority or to live equality in shared spaces. Nearly all of them have a dual Roma-Magyar heritage and suffer from lack of recognition.
The visual artists and experts involved in the project tried to present this complex situation. As a result of their work, the film was presented from June 21-27 in eight different locations (Cristuru Secuiesc, Avrămești, Crișeni, Eliseni, Betești, Filiaș, Miercurea Ciuc and Cluj-Napoca) and the photo exhibition could be seen in two locations (Cristuru Secuiesc and Cluj-Napoca). The creators considered it important to present the work for the first time in the region involved, with the involvement of the protagonists, and plan to make both the film and the photo exhibition material available in the future on the initiative’s online platforms (https://romaportrek.integratio.ro/).
In the making of the movie, the protagonists were: Barabás Blanka, Core Mária, Dán Attila, Gábor Máté, Gergely Gábor, Isztojka Máté and Patakfalvi Judith. Director and editor: Lakatos Miska. Cameraman: Tóth Helga. Experts: András Lóránd András, Luis Escobedo, Kiss Boróka, Kiss Tamás, Sólyom Andrea, Isztolyka Máté, Toró Tibor. Playwright: Lovassy Cseh Tamás. Music: Ioni Renáta, Lakatos Miska. Organization: Kiss Emese, Katona Mihály.
The material for the photography exhibition was composed of photographs by photographer Márkos Tamás. Curator: Luis Escobedo.
The project was financed by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
For more details see the Project webpage.