The Serbian Roma Forum invites you to the screening of the documentary film “The Awakening” by Kenan Emini.
The film gives an insight into the everyday situations and the position of Balkan Roma facing deportation from the countries of Western Europe. The author shows the continuous persecution and uncertainty with which the Roma communities face, in parallel with the stories of people who are waiting in Germany for deportation and those deported to Serbia and Kosovo while, at the same time, he reflects on the rise of institutional discrimination and racism.
The increasingly restrictive migration policies of individual EU Member States – from the readmission agreement to the introduction of the concept of safe countries of origin – have also affected those parts of the Roma community that have been living in Western Europe since birth. Among the tens of thousands of Roma deported in the Balkan countries from the EU in the last few years, there are also those who know almost nothing about their “countries of origin”. The Awakening shows the cruel fate of people who were forced to abandon their past life overnight, finding themselves in countries where their only future is the marginalization, poverty and discrimination.
After the screening of the film, we will talk with the author, Kenan Emini, about the topics that the film is depicting and about possible points of resistance and solidarity.
Kenan Emini (Bundes Roma verband e.V., Roma Center e.V.) is a longtime activist of the Alle Bleiben Initiative! (Everyone is staying!), which in Germany combats racism, discrimination and deportation with actions of solidarity.
Talk moderated by: Tamara Baković Jadžić (The Serbian Roma Forum/ Left Summit of Serbia; Machine)
Place: DC Oktobar, Strahinjića Bana Street 33, 11000 Belgrade.
Time: Friday, June 9 at 19:00.
Duration: 49 minutes.
English subtitles.