A Hole in the Head

documentary film  |  90 min  |  2016  |  SK, CZ
šípka

The Holocaust as a scar on the body and soul of the European Roma and Sinti.

written and directed by
Robert Kirchhof
producer
Barbara Janišová Feglová
co-producers
Martina Šantavá (Česká televize), Soňa Komová (RTVS), Robert Kirchhoff (atelier.doc)
cinematography
Juraj Chlpík
editing
Jan Daňhel
music
Miroslav Tóth
sound design
Václav Flegl

SYNOPSIS

Little is known about the tragedy of the Roma and Sinti during the Second World War. They were murdered by the tens, hundreds and thousands; in concentration camps, by the edges of mass graves and roadsides, by rifle butts, hammers or gas. Silence surrounds them. For years they existed and still exist on the edge of society. They survived and keep their memory and scars as proof. In a world where fascism is once again prevalent, they are one of the last living witnesses to the Holocaust. They exist with a hole in their head, an imprint from the past.


"I believe that what helped the Roma and Sinti survive during times of persecution during the Second World War was their non-materialistic nature and attitude towards the world, existence and time. Their inner freedom is in fact a gift of irrationality or perhaps culture, that allows them to talk about their past and present, about life and death."
Robert Kirchhoff, director
šípka