Gypsies in Film
Each week will begin with the lecture on Monday, film on Wednesday, and the conclusion of the film and class discussion about the film and readings on Friday.
Week 1
I.Introduction to Course and Syllabus Review
a.Students’ ideas of “Gypsies” and origins of those images
i.On 3x5 cards, I have students list five things that come to mind when they hear the word “gypsy.” After, I ask the students if they will share some of those words and I write them on the board. We then have a short, open discussion about where students’ may have gained those descriptions. (Though I ask, generally no students in the class actually know a “Gypsy.”)
ii.The word “Gypsy” as a derogatory term
II.Defining “Gypsy”
a.Based on belief that they came from Egypt
b.Umbrella term though there are many subgroups
c.Tribes and Professions
d.Nomadism
III.History
a.Indian Roots
b.Origin legends
i.King of Persia
ii.Folklore
1.Moonmen
2.Makers of the nails that crucified Christ
3.Condemned to wander
Week 2
I.Race
a.The development of antiziganism (handout Appendix A)
i.Racism is closely related to the quest for land, labor, or resources. The arrival of Roma presented a threat to all three.
ii.Differences in religion, culture, skin color, language
1.Belief that Romani was an invented language designed to deceive
iii.Early recordings of Roma – racial descriptions of physical features
II.Analyzing films is more than just viewing. Discussion of film terms.
a.Filmic
b.Narrative
c.Lighting
d.Cinematography
e.Framing
f.Editing
g.Themes and Patterns
III.Viewing of Gypsy
IV.Discussion of film
Week 3
I.Anti Gypsy Laws
a."Driven away by fire and sword"
b.Laws against nomadism, yet they were forbidden to settle in many regions
c.Church laws against burying or baptizing Gypsies
i.Belief that conversions were false and only to “fit in”
ii.Stance against magic and fortune telling
d.Laws prohibiting Gypsies from working traditional trades within city limits, initiated by trade guilds to eliminate threat and competition
e.Discussion of laws by various countries (for example, Germany had a law that all Gypsies be put to death, “in order to root out this brood of rascals... whether the Gypsies resist or not, these people shall be put to death. Nevertheless, those who... do not counterattack may be granted at most half an hour, to go on their knees and beg of the Almighty, if they so wish, pardon for their sins and to prepare for death.”)
f.Ordinances preventing Gypsies from entering city limits in the Americas
II.Gypsy Hunts
a.Bounties on Gypsy ears and men or women, dead or alive
b.Recordings of hunts:
-A great Gypsy hunt covering four districts of Jutland took place on November 11, 1835. The day brought in a bag of over 260 men, women and children.
-A Rheinland landowning aristocrat is said to have entered in his list of game killed during a day's hunting: Item: A Gypsy woman with leer sucking babe
III.Viewing of Gypsy Melody
IV.Film and Reading Discussion
Week 4
I.Migrations and Diaspora
a.Two Waves
i.Initial Wave from India
ii.Abolition of slavery in 1864
b.How anti Gypsy laws contributed to forced migrations
c.War and Migration
d.The fall of communism and labor migration
II.Viewing of Latcho Drom
III.Film and Reading Discussion
Week 5
I.Myth and Reality: Romani Culture and Tradition
a.Myth – The lecture on myth will draw from the perceptions of Roma that students wrote down the first day of class. Depending on what students wrote, we will explore the origins of myths and why they persist. For example, a common myth is that “gypsies steal children.” This was propagated in two television shows, Criminal Minds and Judging Amy. Another common myth is that “Gypsies are dirty.” This is certainly how they are represented on film and television, but, in fact, the Roma have very stringent customs on cleanliness.
b.Cultural traditions of birth, marriage, death
c.Marime, pollution beliefs
d.“Gypsy Law”
II.Viewing of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding clips followed by videos of actual Romani weddings and American Gypsy
a.Discussion on stereotypes portrayed and capitalized on in the shows
b.Discussion of controversy of Gypsy Wedding
c.Discussion of Ian Hancock’s Letter to National Geographic regarding American Gypsy
III.Film and Reading Discussion
Week 6
I.The Porrajmos
a.Origins of O Baro Porrajmos
b.Background to Romani persecution under the Nazis, see Appendix A, lecture designed to accompany film’s progression of persecution of Roma
II.Viewing of Kokoro
III.Film and Reading Discussion
Week 7
I.Gypsy Music
a.Introduction of Turnerism in film and performance. For lecture see Appendix B.
II.Viewing of And the Violins Stopped Playing
III.Film and Reading Discussion
Week 8
I.Antigypsyism and Representations
a.Defining antizyganism
i.Institutional
ii.Individual
b.The parallel “Gypsy Image”
i.Gadje projection of the self onto the Gypsy
c.The belief that Roma do not actually exist lends itself to wild exaggeration and false representation
II.Viewing of Borat
III.Film and Reading Discussion
Week 9
I.European Practices and Policies
a.The European Union view on Roma
b.Expulsions
c.Ghettoization
d.Post Communist governments and
e.Forced assimilation
f.Employment and educational discrimination
II.Viewing of What Magdalena Said and I have Dreamt of Working as a Hairdresser
III.Film and Reading Discussion
Week 10
I.The American Perception: Sorcery and Seduction vs Outlandish and Obnoxious
a.Pop culture’s use of “Gypsy” to enforce sorcery (witchcraft, fortune tellers, curses) or seduction (particularly prominent in music videos such as Shakira’s “Gypsy”), or both (the seductress lures in the victim)
b.The new wave of outlandish and obnoxious representation at a time least convenient for Roma. Channel 4, The Learning Channel, and National Geographic have all picked up television shows that show the extreme and inaccurate side of Romani life.
c.Discussion of how these representations impact Roma around the world and impede progress toward civil and human rights.
II.Viewing of Thinner (entire), Drag Me to Hell (clips), The Wolfman (clips) and American Gypsy (clips)
III.Film and Reading Discussion
Week 11
I.Romani Civil Rights Movements
a.History of organizational development and activism
b.National Romani Organization
c.World Romani Community
d.International Gypsy Committee
e.World Romani Congress
II.Conflict with Romani social structure and organizational development based on non-Romani models
III.Viewing of Romani Media Campaigns
a.I am a Roma Woman
b.Common Action to Build Hope - Against Hate Crimes
c.We Want to be Heard
IV.Video and Reading Discussion
Week Twelve
I.(mis)Representations in International Film – Time of the Gypsies
a.This lecture is designed to bring together previous lectures and readings and apply them to a film that may seem ambiguous in its representation of Roma. I believe this film to be important for several reasons (see Justification) and I want the students to have plenty of time to reflect and discuss.
This week we will watch the film first, on Monday and then spend the rest of the week’s class time to discuss the film and the readings.
Week 13
II.Wrap-Up, Review, and Closing Clips
a.Discussion of Reading
b.Review and Question Session
c.Series of news clips, music videos, and other film media that enforce Romani stereotypes (compiled on the course’s YouTube channel)
Lectures
