CoE:1st Wallenbeg Prize, Roma of Turkey, Arus to EuroFora: Film=strong expression for Human Rights

 

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- Few People know that most Roma originate from Turkey, and not from Romania, contrary to what many believed until recently. But the PanEuropean CoE's Organization, after a patient work throughout many Countries for many Years, managed to confirm that, to the point that even prestigious Human Rights' Prize "Wallenberg", sponsored by Sweden, etc., was awarded for the 1st time to a Young Roma Film Director from Turkey, Ms Elmas Arus, today in Strasbourg, for her tenacious and systematic Work, together with many Volunteers, to Document the reality, problems, beliefs and ways of Lives of Thousands of Roma People, who used to stay rather Discrete in the Past, in 38 Cities accross Turkey, from Instabul to Erzurum, etc., during a whole Decade (2001-2010), until Prime Minister Erdogan reportedly unknowledged, back on 2009, the existence of this particular Minority, (which appeared in Europe from around the 15th-16th Century and afterwords, while it's practicaly non-existent in America, Africa, Australia and other remote Geographic Areas of the World).

 

 

Meeting the recipient, after a Ceremony at the CoE, earlier Today, where she officially received from the Secretary General of the PanEuropean Organization, Thornbjorn Jagland from Norway, the Prize awarded to her by a Committee of Experts, "EuroFora" observed that Ms Arus, who has also created the Association "Zero Discrimination" with a wider scope, stressed in her Speech to a Ceremony held in front of CoE's Committee of Ministers' room, in the presence of several Diplomats, CoE's Officials and Journalists, etc, that it's in order to better make known and defend the Rights of Roma People that she had decided to start using the Documentary Films, and asked her, why did she found that particular Tool more adequat than f.ex. Photos, Paintings, Litterature or Fiction, Sociological reports, Journalism, Politics, "classic" Human Rights Activism via NGOs, Lawyers, etc., among various other possible means which could have also served that same purpose.

- "With a Book you can make an Interpretation (Analysis), may be, but when you have a Film, it "touches" People more Deeply, with Emotions etc., and in a muc h more Widespead way". So, "I believe that it has a Bigger Impact if we make a Movie". "And I also think that I can Express Myself, and my own emotions, Better with that" (i.e. an Audio-Video Documentary Film work), Ms Arus replied to "EuroFora"'s Question, (speaking through an interpretator in English).

+ From what could be seen from 2 Giant Screens reproducing in pareallel the Longest Documentary Film ever made by Ms Arus on Roma People in Turkey, sub-titled in English, it pictured, indeed, a wide spectrum of a methodic presentation of their Human Rights' problemss, but also their Culture, part of their History, ways of Life, etc., often in a really touching manner, revealing both issues already met in some other Countries even well inside Europe's core", f.ex. about the Obstacles reportedly met by Roma Children on the Crucial matter of their Access to normal Education outlets, early Schooling etc   etc, added to various other Cultural  and/or  Historic references, (including even a Legend related to .. Adam and Eve !), a very Hard way of searching for their Livelihood (f.ex. from offering to repair Kitchen tools on the roads, cutting Bushes, etc., until even treating Waste, etc), despite some reported Ameliorations of their material conditions here or there,(f.ex. sometimes with "State Jobs" and/or "Housing" in certain Villages, etc.), but often returning back to a "Modern" way of Nomadic Life, mainly consisting into quasi-permanent and recurring Displacements at Differend places accross the Country, in order to Sarch various Seasonal Jobs, spread all over the Year and/or the areas, such us, f.ex. Factories, Fields, Mines, Agricultural production, collect Fruits, Vegetables, a.o., often being obliged to live in Tents, etc.

But despite her quite serious, Documentary-like style of Filming the Facts, Arus had succeeded to often picture also the touching Human Eyes of many Roma Children and/or of several Aged People, which in certain dire circumstances "spoke" better than a thousand words....However, she was herself .. filmed Today by her small Son, a Roma little boy with brilliant eyes, obviously Proud that his Mother's work was honored at the CoE, and even received an Invitation to take part in an Event due to be organized "at Hamlet's Historic Castle", out of Copenhagen, by an experienced collegue, Danish Journalist, well known both to the CoE and to EU Parliament in Strasbourg since many Decades, as he told "EuroFora"...

The overall move apparently suited quite well the overall philosophy of the Raoul Wallenberg Prize, named after the man who had taken, even personaly, serious Risks in his continuous efforts to protect and save Jewish and other People, while they were systematically Discriminated and/or  Persecuted by the NAZI regime in the Past, particularly before and during the 2nd World War.