If I say "Romania"
do you want to go there?
Even if you would invite me on a tour
you would give me the money to go.
I don't know if there is anything to visit in Romania
Is it an European Union country?
I don't know
Do you think there is a lot of prejudices against Romania?
No, I am going to sound racist...
but the Rroms, they are from somewhere ...
they are from Romania.
present
18 years after the fall of the communist regime
Romania joined the European Union in 2007.
However, the country is still unknown
and we feel it became the black sheep,
target of many stereotypes coming from its European neighbours
we wanted to discover it
and meet its inhabitants.
a documentary by
in collaboration with
Over the course of one month, during our trip
we travelled in the four corners of Romania
Bucharest, the capital
Holod
Pascani
and Mamaia.
At each stage, we let Romania's youth,
those responsible for building the future, speak .
This is the story that we will tell you.
My name is Dan, I was born in Bucharest
I am 23
I live Berceni, a neighbourhood in the south of Bucharest
I studied at the University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine.
I would have rather studied Social Science
something like Sociology or Philosophy
but my parents wanted me to become a engineer
to make more money.
Anyway, it is difficult to make money in Romania,
especially in the field of Social Science, it would have been harder for me.
We are now in Berceni, a neighbourhood in the southern part of Bucharest
here, behind me, is Tineretului Park
my favourite one in Bucharest
of witch I know every single corner.
There, you can see The People's Palace
and Hotel Intercontinental , which is situated exactly in the center of Bucharest.
This is where I meet my friends
we drink a beer, or two ...
we have fun, we have parties
and...
in short, this is my neighbourhood.
I bought my drum set at 17
and I tried to play in a punk band
now I play in a ska-punk-reggae band
alternative rock... to summarize.
I have a friend, Danny, who makes background music for rap,
beats, as they say
and I write lyrics because I really like writing especially in the subway
and at university
when I'm bored, inspiration comes easily.
- This is a summer hit!
Exactly! High five!
This is the first time I made music with my friends Leo and Danny!
Usually I do it at home by myself.
- The funny thing is that each of us played his own music, you know.
How's Danny like?
He's "Curly" to me...
He plays punk on his drums
as no one I ever heard before
and...
he is a hard worker
he works in a crowded nightclub
and he is there all the time.
Currently I am a barman assistant
and I hope to become barman in a nightclub
I'm really happy with my wage
and with the work I do
and my colleagues too.
I work around 13 hours per night
two or three days per week
and I earn about 18 million ROL
which is about 300 or 400 Euro per month.
I think it is a relatively good wage
above the Romanian average
which is around 8 or 9 million ROL.
This is a city where you can have fun in numerous ways
and from what I heard from foreigners
that this is the capital for fun in this area, the Balkans
it has many upsides and downsides but Paris has them too...
- We also have an Arch of Triumph!
- Yes
- And if we put our mind to it, we can build an Eiffel Tower!
I feel European because Romania is in Europe,
before it was in the European Union, it was in Europe
and that will always be the case.
The European Union changed the fact that we can cross borders more easily
and there are many more foreigners in the streets
in the city center and in the nightclub where I work.
There's a lot of them.
I really like speaking in English and talking to them.
Other than that, the Europe Union also changed the fact
that despite the corrupt mayors and men of power,
things are starting to move along, to make things a bit better
for our capital to look like a proper European capital
Romanians are happy people, people easy to get along with,
people you can have a drink with, they are very friendly
specifically with foreigners
even more so with foreigners than between themselves
they are very welcoming.
I, also, really like the landscapes and the mountains
we have some very beautiful nature, beautiful fauna.
I really like the provinces
people are a lot more relaxed
more... how to say... more easy-going
They speak more slower they don't rush everything like we do.
The air is cleaner.
When you arrive in Bucharest by train
the first thing that hits you is the atmospheric pressure and the smell of Bucharest
everything is suffocating.
We also wanted to move away
from the hectic life of the capital
we drive to West, to the Romanian countryside
to a small Transylvanian village
500 kilometres away from Bucharest
we chose to stop.
Former Hungarian territory,
the small village of Holod lives by the rhythm of the seasons
its economy depending mainly on agriculture
and livestock farming.
Since 2007, Europe allocated 13.8 billion Euro
to help the Romanian farmers.
But finally in Holod, we didn't encounter the countryside silence we expected
We arrive during the annual village festival
all the townspeople are here
and we meet the chief veterinarian of the village.
My name is Ilie Gheorghe Iulian
I am almost 30
I am a veterinarian in Holod
my father was veterinarian for a farm of the Communist Party
and my mother was a zootechnical engineer.
Like all children I used to like my parents' profession
as a kid, I loved what my father did
and I tagged along with him from time to time
when he treated the animals and I witnessed some the procedures.
I was around 5 or 6 years old and I rode with him in the car.
During my studies at University
I found there was, within me, a true passion for the veterinary medicine
and now I can't imagine myself doing anything else.
- Did you ever go abroad? In France?
- This one escapes all the time.
- Ok
- I don't know why...
- Where do you come from?
Harghita, no?
We are farmers
we breed pigs but we buy food too.
We produce ourselves
but we never know the prices.
When it is the time to sow, we sow
and when we harvest, we don't know at what price we will sell.
There, in other European countries, these things are set to higher standard
it guarantees prices of products for the small farmer
there, farmers are helped by the government
they have support for farmers
yes, there are a lot of aids for them.
If there wasn't for the people in government
who are all just interested by their own wellbeing...
...theirs and that of their pockets.
Yesterday I saw on TV
a mayor from Bucharest, I can't remember which district
who showed his villa
it looked like a shopping mall.
That's where the money from the European Union went...
With the calves we are lucky
because the Italians and others come and buy them
and they load them directly in their trucks.
We are lucky that the foreigners come and buy our calves
If they didn't come,
we wouldn't make any money at all
Do you think, regarding their future, that it's better for them to stay here rather than going abroad?
Yes, it's better.
As the saying goes:
- there's no place like home.
"even if the bread is bad
it is always better in my country"
It is now the time for us to leave Iulian and his native land
to meet another Romanian
belonging to the Gypsy community.
Having arrived centuries ago on the European territory
they would originate from India.
Today almost all the population is settled
yet so far, it is not accepted by all
discrimination is still a reality.
Our journey continues to the other side of the country
heading East, towards the county of Iasi.
Before our arrival in Pascani
we hear a bit of music in the distance
so a little detour is required.
Hello!
- Eh man! Don't steal the apples!
My name is Stan Dragos Florentin
I am 26 years old
I was born in Pascani in Iasi county
Now we are near my parents' home
and I came to help them with the apple harvesting.
My parents are Gypsy scrap merchants
they recycle scrap metal
and they are not nomad.
In the past, Gypsies were nomads and they went from town to town
but I know that ever since I was born
my parents, my grandparents and my ancestors
have always lived in a village near Pascani
and they were the scrap merchants of the village.
Sure, I can tell you about school
I was really discriminated because I'm Gypsy
the teachers would look at you differently
they don't pay much attention to you
and they let you alone like that
"stay there in your bench"
"you don't need much schooling anyway"
Many people go through this they are discriminated against
doors harder to open for them
if they go to the secretariat for a certificate
or in the town hall, or anywhere else to get something
the doors are harder to open even if it's their right.
Initially, with my brother, we wanted to create a dance group
called "Gipsy Eye"
but seeing the problems in school at University with Gypsy children in general
we wanted to offer them a helping hand
so we formed this organization
we did an 'after school' type project at the Cozmesti school
it's been almost one year and a half
and I think we really help them, Gypsy or not,
to move forward in their life
and to succeed in school.
Hello!
Hello!
How are you?
Fine!
At the beginning, we only focused on young Rroma children
but in Cozmesti, we take care of children living in poverty.
- "N"
"D"
put your finger on the letters.
- "D", "R", "O", "L"
- "L"
- There are two "L" here.
Bravo, bravo
who knows best?
- I know! Yes. I know.
I like working with children
because they are the future
because they are going to study
they will know what to do in their lives
they will know to go knock on the right doors
be respectful
all of these things...
Gypsy children don't go to school because of various reasons
Firstly, the family's financial situation
doesn't allow them to go to school
but you will see that the Gypsies who have money,
they send their children to school.
And they are perceived differently by teachers because they have money, they can give gifts.
We just worked on some songs
that they will sing at the school opening ceremony.
And now we will give them some food.
- Thank you
Almost every time it's the same thing
if they don't try to go to school
or to have a minimum education
it's very hard for them to find a job
and many of them think if they go abroad
they will get money served on a plate.
And when they arrive there, they realise that is not like that.
And after, they regret it a lot.
Moreover, many regret leaving the country
because they were actually forced by their parents into it
but staying here, they had nothing to do.
This is another big problem that stems from the family.
I think parents are somewhat responsible for it
because they don't encourage their children to go to school
they don't ask them: "Do you know how to count or write?"
or they say: "They can count now...
so what is the point in continuing school?"
"They will not be the next Mayor!"
The plan is to continue the project after December.
I ends in December and we hope to continue it after that until the end of the school year.
- I think it is necessary to contact the families again
to re-explain the activity.
- So that they understand our message.
- And we have to incite them to come from enroll from the beginning
- Well, thank you
and we will see you as soon as possible.
- Where is Fotin?
- You will be able to speak... freely
- What are you making here?
- I'm making some beans.
Go away! Boby!
Boby!
I renovated the façade
but I couldn't fix the ceiling too, 'cause the cardboard is so expensive.
And I couldn't carry on.
But I am glad
I was able to send my children to school
On notebooks ...
on pencils, some ink, markers, pens,
For two children, I spent 80 lei.
And that's only for notebooks. Schoolbags: another 50 lei.
And clothes...
you know how my children are ...
- But the most important is that you can send your children to school.
- Yes, I am proud that my children do well in school.
But if wouldn't study, I wouldn't work so hard to keep them in school.
Don't take off your shoes!
I don't know if you can film
Because I don't have any lightbulbs, there's no light
This is an old-fashioned house
if I hadn't fixed it, it would have fallen into ruin.
I patched up it with clay, straw and stones, whatever I could find.
I can't build a new one, I have no job ...
stealing it is not an option
so as you can see
we live here, my two children, me and my husband
day after day, night after night here.
Of course, Rroma people are not all poor.
In Romania if you talk with a certain type of people
if you ask them how are the Rroma people like,
they will tell you that they are very rich and they have everything
they have very large houses
they have the best cars and a lot of gold ...
While people who really lived alongside the poor Roma
will tell you that the majority lives at a lower level
in a lower social class.
We're make bracelets to sale at the G-fest in Ia?i
for charity reasons, so we can finance the kids from the school in Cozme?ti
because for the new school year, they need uniforms
After I did "Tagadapampam"...
Listen to me, I give you the start!
and girls, you are in rhythm
- Did you understand?
- And for the video you have to smile.
Girls, you have to smile.
- We will do an original smile!
- You have to smile all the time!
Marriages between Romanians and Rroma people have already began
and I think in few years it will be considered a normal thing
and there will no longer be any discrimination between Romanians and Rroma
because we'll all be in this together
I am proud to be Rroma
I never regretted being born Rroma.
On the contrary, I like it when I go in a Rroma community
and I start chatting with them
they are a very close knit group
and they all support each other in troubled times
and I really like that
The fact that they are united
they are there for each other.
I feel Rroma first, because it's what I am
then Romanian because I've lived here in Romania
and then European because we are part of the European Union ...
with or without the consent of all citizens,
but we joined the European Union.
The last part of our journey brings us to the coasts of the Black Sea
we are in Mamaia
one of the most important Romanian seaside resorts
it's a highly popular summer destination for Romanians
Mamaia does not yet enjoy an international reputation
However, this last years the resort has been developed
to become a key location for partying.
I live in London
we came here on holiday
and I spent half a year in Australia
but from all the clubs that I went to, the Romanian ones are the most beautiful.
I really like travelling, that's why I chose to study in the UK
but I always come back home.
There's no place like home.
Unfortunately, French people think that Romania is a country in withdrawal
I talked about it with many people
and this pains me, as a Romanian
because they only see the prejudice and the problems of the country.
And they are not interested in the touristic side:
the sea, the nightlife, the clubs that we have ...
as well as tourist sites, monasteries ...
and all the other things you can visit in this country.
We are Ana and Ilinca
we are two sisters ...
I am 20 and she is 16 years old.
I am a Business student in London
and she is a Year 10 student at the French School.
We came here together for a weekend, on holiday
to go to the sea and have fun
- to enjoy life ...
- And to relax a little, yes
We wanted to enjoy the weekend of ...
... the last weekend of the season.
I live abroad
That's why it took us to long to come.
- yes it's a shame
because the whole resort is empty
It's the end of the season and everyone is gone
the clubs are closing aready ...
- But the sea is just as beautiful
- Yes, the sea is always beautiful.
Mamaia is the most popular resort
it's the busiest resort
they opened the most famous clubs
Le gaga, Fratelli, Ego
I like it!
You can go to the clubs
you can dance, have fun
I love to dance.
We don't mind spending a little more money
if we want to have a dream holiday
rather than stay at the hotel the whole day.
Anyway, in Mamaia
you must come ...
... with money.
Because you know you are going to spend a lot
whether you like it or not.
Welcome to Mamaia!
Mamaia is uh ... how to say ...
Mamaia is expensive because you have to pay for a deck-chair
in Vama Veche, it is more like a bohemian lifestyle
you set your tent on the beach
there is no fuss there.
- If you prefer a simple life you can go to Vama Veche.
- That's is not entirely true. There, it's ...
it's more ... people don't have the same ideas
"you go to the sea, the hotel and the swimming pool" ...
There ... everything is more "free".
- Yes.
Vama is cool!
If you know how to take it, Vama is amazing. You need to know what to expect:
there's no five-star hotels,
no barmen with bow ties,
But a good atmosphere and great people
and the possibility to do whatever you want
preferably in a civilized manner.
Everyone can come and hang out here ... just like we are now.
Being a DJ is the fun part of my life.
I mix quite often in the whole country
and sometimes in Europe.
Mamaia is a place for ...
you can say ... for the wealthy inhabitants of Bucharest.
in Mamaia I feel like an entertainer
here I feel like an artist ...
I felt the shadowed hand of the communist regime a bit...
I felt the relief after 1990 when we wanted something more
everything that happened after the revolution with cable television.
So I naturally felt attracted to everything international
Like most people of this generation
and now I just express my pop culture in my own way.
- Do you want to go there?
- No
- I want to go in a pastry
Our mother wanted to ...
... send us in a French school or in foreign school
because the Romanian schools are not great
- and also to learn an other ...
- to learn another language that we speak very well
- our grandmother speaks french very well
our grandfather too
- in our family they speak french a lot.
I like our culture because it is really diversified
in the field of music, of painting ...
in all categories of the culture
I like it because it is really diversified
it is because in some way
it is in the middle of the exotic countries
of the Arab countries
and also of the Occident
so it is a little bit of all of it
I really dislike that we could have a beautiful country
we really have beautiful cities
- I think there is no money invested in the tourism
- in what we need, in roads ...
- it is possible to bring more foreigners here
if you show them
- there are foreigners who don't even know
where is Romania on the map, unfortunately ...
they still have a bad impression
and it's a pity because they don't know our country
- I think you know very well the stereotypes
"Romania is full of Gypsies"
"Romania is like that"
- "the Gypsies are Romanian"
but now, there are more and more people who become famous
some singers
- Romanians are really good at math, at computer
there are Romania at Google, Nasa
gradually, we became integrated in the whole world
and I hope little by little, the stereotypes about Gypsies
and about poverty in Romania will erase
and we will be able to demonstrate
that we are ...
ok, maybe we are a bit corrupt
but we have good things.
Yes we feel European
yes because we were born here
- as we said before, all is connected
we have always been in contact with European people
of different cultures so ...
we are not only Romanian.
I'm not saying that I am glad to be part of European Union
because we have European funds that help us
I'm glad to be part of European Union
- because they try to integrate us
- Yes, because we want to show them
that we can integrate
and they give us the opportunity to integrate
so it's not : "I am in European Union for the funds"
- it's not that at all
- that is stupid
it's the feeling that someone really wants to help us
that is the most important
because they are concerned.
Aware of the prejudices that exist about their country,
every Romanian who we met
received our project with enthusiasm.
After two months spent with them
we feel now closer to their culture and their customs.
Located in Eastern Europe
Romania remains a predominantly a Latin country
with which we have many common points.
The country's integration into the European Union
sounds for us like an obvious step
but in spite of that
all the doors are not yet open
Romania is not entered in the Schengen area.
Originally planned for 2014
some member states remain resistant to this idea.
Ordinary European citizens
we can only hope that soon
Romania will be better known for its positive aspects
than for the prejudices fixed in the minds.
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