East Coast Premiere

An Interview with Aaron Yeger, Director/Producer of A PEOPLE UNCOUNTED

The history of the Roma, commonly referred to as Gypsies, stretches back more than 600 years, yet their culture and history remains wrapped in myth and misunderstanding.  A PEOPLE UNCOUNTED sets out to shed light on the Romani people’s extensive and – at times dark – history, as well as the colorful culture that has sustained them.  As an underflow of racial tensions rises throughout Europe, the filmmakers traveled across eleven countries to speak with Romani scholars, Holocaust survivors, and activists to discover the truth behind the Roma.

Brian Lepire, Salem Film Fest Blog Editor, recently heard from director Aaron Yeger (who will be attending the film’s SFF premiere) about the Roma’s untold story, filming across Europe, and the battle against prejudice addressed in A PEOPLE UNCOUNTED.

A PEOPLE UNCOUNTED; dir: Aaron Yeger

Brian Lepire: What inspired the making of A PEOPLE UNCOUNTED and how did you get involved?

Aaron Yeger: A PEOPLE UNCOUNTED first grew from a conversation among Lenny Binder (Executive Producer), Tom Rasky (Producer) and musician Robi Botos. Binder and Rasky, both Jewish and children of Holocaust survivors, were intrigued to learn that Botos, who is Roma, had also lost family in the Holocaust. They decided to make a documentary. Producer Marc Swenker, Director of Photography Stephen Whitehead and myself were working together on another documentary at the time. Tom Rasky and I are cousins, and Tom having known about the work my colleagues and I were doing, brought us together.

BL: When you began the project, what were some of your biggest concerns when it came to telling the story of the Roma?

AY: Apart from Robi Botos, none of us are of Romani background. We felt it important to make sure that we are sensitive to any concerns that might arise from that. We began the process by interviewing Dr. Ian Hancock, the foremost Romani American scholar, and retained him as a consultant and editorial advisor. We also took opportunities to discuss the process and consult other Romani scholars, historians and activists whenever possible. Another concern in terms of story structure was to find a way to introduce this culture to audiences as efficiently as possible to provide context for the Holocaust/Porrajmos story, and that of the present day struggle.

BL: You and your crew ended up traveling through eleven countries to gather information and conduct interviews. How many people were on the traveling crew and what were some of the difficulties you had to overcome because of the travel?

AY: There were six of us traveling for six weeks and through eight countries: Producer Marc Swenker, Director of Photography Stephen C. Whitehead, Michael Heathcote operating the camera and SteadiCam, Camera Assistant Robert Tagliaferri, Sound Recordist Adam Parsons and myself, the Director. The biggest difficulty was mobility—finding a vehicle that we could all fit into, along with quite a significant amount of equipment and leaving minimal space for personal luggage. We also covered a significant distance driving, and Marc and I scheduled it very tightly. Marc held these logistics together, along with Tom Rasky who was managing business back home. Stephen, who speaks Russian, helped us through a very difficult time at the Romania-Moldova-Ukraine border.

BL: Was there anything you discovered about the Roma while researching for the film that astonished you?

AY: I was astonished that nobody had told this story on this scale before. The Roma are treated as such outcasts from society, and are just about the last remaining group for whom political correctness in public discourse doesn’t exist. Politicians and mainstream journalists are still often overtly disparaging of the Roma. Yet there is no evidence as to any reason for this other than racism in its purest and most obvious form. Every Romani person we met or spoke with during the course of research or filming was incredibly receptive, warm and kind, and pleased to participate. When so many writers and people in the media have referred to “Gypsies” as shunning outsiders and being so “different”, I wonder if those writers had ever actually attempted to get to know an actual Romani person. My guess is no.

BL: The Roma have a rich and colorful culture that is marred by tragedy and prejudice. How did you decide to handle these stark contrasts to give the audience a full-scope of what it means to be Romani?

AY: Myself and my collaborators created a narrative environment where the Roma could tell their own stories. Everything in the film emerged organically from the process, without any rigidly planned script or didactic element. For instance, it was important to me from the start that we attempt this without a narrator, and let the predominantly Romani interview subjects narrate their own story within a structure that would shape an emotional arch without forcing a focus on any one person or linear telling of events. Another good example is with the Romani musical tradition. There are several instances of live musical performance within the story, but we didn’t go out seeking those because it was our initial goal to avoid that stereotypical portrayal. However, by organically gathering content for the story, I did discover that the music tradition is something many Roma are very proud of—a part of their culture that has helped them endure. As for balance, we never attempted to push people into heightening the focus on tragic elements of their personal stories. The balance came naturally from what the subjects cared to relate.

BL: Did some of your interviewees have reservations about being interviewed or were they eager to tell their story?

AY: All of the Holocaust/Porrajmos survivors were very eager to tell their stories. Many had told these stories before within their communities, but this was an opportunity to put it on record for future generations and they appreciated that. The scholars and activists were also excited to talk and become involved once they met us and our crew and saw how seriously we were treating the subject, and without the common biases that they may have experienced in interactions with the mainstream media. Many people were expecting a television news crew, and when they saw we were independent artists, they really opened up.

BL: After traveling so far and meeting so many interesting people, how would you describe your overall experience making this film?

AY: Making this film was a great opportunity for personal growth and a very enlightening experience. I think I’ve gained a better understanding of the human condition and I bet everyone else involved would say the same. I also learned a lot about shaping a story in documentary, in no small part due to the mentoring of our editor Kurt Engfehr, whose ability to find the humanity and full emotional spectrum within an otherwise very heavy subject is uncanny. This film became about balancing the stories of a vast number of people, a vast trove of information, and the goals of a great many very talented creative collaborators and I think we all came together to do something extraordinary.

BL: What would you like audiences to walk out of the theater thinking about after seeing A PEOPLE UNCOUNTED?

AY: People are people, racism is racism. Common prejudicial attitudes toward the Roma are unacceptable and also not unique. It’s important to study the Holocaust because of what it teaches us about not letting history repeat, and to get a full understanding of how the Holocaust happened, one must learn something about the Roma. Any person can be a victim of racism and genocide, and any person can wind up a perpetrator. Humanity has a long way to go toward a fair and just society. But the enduring spirit of the Roma should be in the end an uplifting demonstration of our common humanity.

A PEOPLE UNCOUNTED  will premiere at Salem Film Fest on Sunday, March 4^th at 1:45 p.m. in the Main Theater at CinemaSalem. Director Aaron Yeger will be on hand to speak after the film.