AMARO KINO – A TRAVELING PROGRAM OF RECENT ROMA SHORT FILMS – goEAST Film Festival

Amaro Kino is a new traveling short film programme initiated by the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC), in collaboration with the East European Film Festival Network (EEFFN). The programme brings together recent short films that explore Roma stories, voices, and experiences — created by Roma filmmakers as well as artists who work closely with Roma communities.

In 2025, Amaro Kino will travel to several European film festivals. Its first stop is at goEast Film Festival in Wiesbaden with two screenings:

Apollo Kino
Thursday, 24 April, 16:00
With a post-screening film discussion

Murnau Kino
Tuesday, 29 April, 16:00

FILM PROGRAMME

The Life and Miracles of Saint Nicodemus of Tismana
Director: Liviu Bărbulescu, Year: 2023, Country: Romania, Duration: 8 min

A documentary disguised as a humorous animation, this film uses the bright visual style of Romanian naive church painting and cut-out animation to examine the forgotten role of the Orthodox Church in the enslavement of Roma people. It starts off as a comedic tale of a 14th-century monk’s bizarre miracles — turning pork into fish, hovering across the Danube — but gradually reveals a deeper, uncomfortable history.

Omara
Director: Abel Santa, Year: 2024, Country: Hungary, USA, Duration: 8 min

A portrait of the world as seen by Roma painter Mara “Omara” Oláh. After moving to a new village, Omara faces hostility and judgment as a Roma woman — but responds with humor, honesty, and resilience. The film tells her story with warmth and directness.

CHAVO
Director: Alecio Araci, Year: 2023, Country: Sweden, Duration: 15 min
Tommy’s grill is a small restaurant and gathering space for the local Romani community. On one quiet evening, a stranger shows up — and his presence stirs up rumors, forcing Tommy to confront memories he’s kept buried. A tender, observant short about grief, community, and survival.

9/8FIGHT41
Director: Gizem Aksu, Year: 2022, Country: Turkey, Duration: 29 min

Inspired by the story of Rukeli Trollmann — a Sinto boxer who was persecuted by the Nazis for “boxing like a Gypsy” — this experimental documentary connects past and present. It follows the filmmaker’s own journey as a migrant to Berlin and an activist in Istanbul, navigating identity, resistance, and memory through movement and performance.

Full programme and tickets available on filmfestival-goeast.de