Across Europe, filmmaker Mona Nicoara informs us, Roma—or Gypsy—children often find themselves assigned to segregated schools or those designated for “special needs” students. Nicoara offers a microcosmic perspective on the situation by focusing on Targu Lapus, a rural Transylvanian village that receives a grant from the European Union to integrate Roma children into schools hitherto reserved for Romanians. The filmmaker zeroes in on three Roma kids who live in a virtual ghetto on the town's outskirts—8-year-old Alin, 12-year-old Beniamin, and 16-year-old Dana, following them from 2006 to 2010 in a story that begins with hopefulness but heads toward despair. The youngsters do attend an integrated school, but are treated condescendingly by teachers and administrators (whose prejudice is revealed in less guarded moments). Without preparation, the Roma children are unable to make many friends among their Romanian classmates. Meanwhile, the mayor talks a good game about equal treatment, but the funds for the integration effort are eventually diverted to rebuild a dilapidated school in the Roma district, meant for those said to require “special attention”—a euphemism that obviously signals the reintroduction of segregation. A dejected Alin isn't far off when he defines “special” as “crazy”—from the Romanian perspective—and it's hardly surprising that Beniamin and his parents wind up resigned to a bleak future, or that Dana decides to abandon her education and get married instead. A poignant, perceptive documentary that points up the need for a change in heart as well as policy, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Our School
(2011) 94 min. DVD: $99: high schools & public libraries; $354: colleges & universities. New Day Films. PPR. ISBN: 978-1-57448-486-1. Volume 30, Issue 1
Our School
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