This documentary reveals the plight of several Roma families (otherwise known as Gypsies) who had been forcibly evicted from their homes near downtown Sofia in 2001. Why? The entire location was cleared and replaced with a large supermarket.
The Bulgarian government moved these families into "temporary" lodging: a horrible shantytown without proper sanitation. And now, ten years later, these families were still waiting for the government to fulfill the promise and place them into proper housing.
There were plenty of church groups and government officials who were trying to help this situation, but not much could be accomplished. In Post-Communist Bulgaria, money is tight. Among the filth and despair, we find a young Roma girl with a gangrenous leg that needs to be amputated. Few of the children attend school and even fewer can read or write.
Interestingly, for all intents and purposes, these gypsies ARE Bulgarians. It was their forefathers who had travelled from India centuries ago to settle in Eastern Europe. And because of that, these folks have darker skin and live segregated from everyone else. And the cycle of poverty continues, generation after generation.
In spite of the harsh message, we could see the laughing children constantly playing games. They are happy. And the adults live their lives with quiet acceptance and occasional humor. They have accepted their fate.
I found it interesting that things were actually better for the Roma under Communism. As the great 'equalizer,' everyone was treated more equally; but under Capitalism, there are winners and losers, and these are definitely the losers. Still, at the end of the documentary, we learn that the government moved the families into apartments by 2012. They got their housing after all.
The Bulgarian government moved these families into "temporary" lodging: a horrible shantytown without proper sanitation. And now, ten years later, these families were still waiting for the government to fulfill the promise and place them into proper housing.
There were plenty of church groups and government officials who were trying to help this situation, but not much could be accomplished. In Post-Communist Bulgaria, money is tight. Among the filth and despair, we find a young Roma girl with a gangrenous leg that needs to be amputated. Few of the children attend school and even fewer can read or write.
Interestingly, for all intents and purposes, these gypsies ARE Bulgarians. It was their forefathers who had travelled from India centuries ago to settle in Eastern Europe. And because of that, these folks have darker skin and live segregated from everyone else. And the cycle of poverty continues, generation after generation.
In spite of the harsh message, we could see the laughing children constantly playing games. They are happy. And the adults live their lives with quiet acceptance and occasional humor. They have accepted their fate.
I found it interesting that things were actually better for the Roma under Communism. As the great 'equalizer,' everyone was treated more equally; but under Capitalism, there are winners and losers, and these are definitely the losers. Still, at the end of the documentary, we learn that the government moved the families into apartments by 2012. They got their housing after all.
