Work on the first in Ukraine documentary project about modern Ukrainian Roma women, who have applied themselves in social activities, art or profession which is not connected to the scene, remains. A series of seven short films titled "Seven stories of successful Roma women" will be released in spring and aims to change perceptions of Roma women in society. Previous presentation of the film will take place in Roma component of this year's International Documentary Film Festival on Human Rights «Docudays UA» in the end of March.
Work on the first in Ukraine documentary project about modern Ukrainian Roma women, who have applied themselves in social activities, art or profession which is not connected to the scene, remains. A series of seven short films titled “Seven stories of successful Roma women” will be released in spring and aims to change perceptions of Roma women in society. Previous presentation of the film will take place in Roma component of this year’s International Documentary Film Festival on Human Rights «Docudays UA» in the end of March.
Roma program initiative of the International Renaissance Foundation continues to support projects aimed at involving representatives of the Roma people in social processes and opposition to their discrimination in Ukraine. Creation of the first in Ukraine documentary about modern Roma women is an unprecedented project, which will tell their success stories outside the Roma community for the first time.
Activists’ video and photo stories are documented by NGO “Platform for Changes “Re: Design” supported by the Roma program initiative of the International Renaissance Foundation. Director – Roman Blazhan. According to research consultant and co-authoress of the “Seven stories of successful Roma women” Romani specialist Natalia Zinevych, research model’s developing for documentation and the first preliminary meetings with the participants of the project began in summer. It is no coincidence THE heroines of the film are mature women, socially active, well-known and respected in the Roma environment, but not well known to the general public.
Among the project’s heroines there are poet Rani Romani (Raisa Nabaranchuk), president of Roma Women Fund ‘Chiricli’ Yulia Condur, actress of Roma Music and Drama Theater “Romance” Mila Krykunova and head of the NGO “Romano drom” Maryna Kazanska. Filming took place in cities where the heroines live – Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chernihiv and Brovary. Focus was put on heroines’ social and other work, their memories, reflections and everyday life.
“Taking into account that our society knows nothing about Roma women, it is worth to start talking about those who have something to say,” Natalia Zinevych explains the project plan. “Our heroines have got lots of experience: easy, difficult, unhappy and happy. Despite all the difficulties, they’ve built themselves. They are united by the concern for their communities, and they spend a lot of time on something that most people are not ready to spend on. I think Roma community is no exception in this case. But it is much less talked about. And we will fill this empty niche with a high-quality content.”
Project Director Roman Blazhan said that he deliberately avoided a staged approach, scripts and roles, “The project “Seven stories of successful Roma women in Ukraine” is meant not to change reality. This is a project-research, and my job is to show our heroines by using artistic techniques, not forcing the viewer to stereotypical images. Each of us in the process notices certain stereotypes about Roma, and our task is to understand them and do not let them affect the final creation.”
To follow the news from the set, please visit the project on FB ‘Seven stories of successful Roma women in Ukraine’.
For additional comments on the projects of Roma Program Initiative contact its director Olga Zhmurko requesting a pr@irf.ua
