Review of Welcome Nowhere (2013) by Byron B — 01 May 2014
A documentary I saw at the Cleveland International Film Festival 2014. I was somewhat aware of the prejudices against Gypsies in Eastern Europe, but this film puts a face to the problem. The film crew specifically investigates a boxcar community in Sofia, Bulgaria.
It is eye-opening and troubling, but doesn't give clear answers as to how to fix the problem. The director, Kate Ryan, who was present in Cleveland for a Q&A following the screening, briefly looks at the history of Gypsies in western Asia and across Europe.
She gathers different perspectives from neighbors of the boxcar community, scholars, social workers, and politicians. As the director informed us, the men of the Gypsy community did not trust the outsiders coming to probe into their lives, but through a couple of Christian charity organizers, a handful of the women and their children allowed the cameras and questions to document what their impoverished lives are like.
This review of Welcome Nowhere (2013) was written by Byron B on 01 May 2014.
Welcome Nowhere has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
