THE CURSE OF THE HEDGEHOG

Over the course of a year filmmaker Dumitru Budrala documented the life of an extensive Roma family. Members of the Băieşi group of Roma, the family lives in extreme poverty. In winter the family leaves its domicile in the south Carpathian mountains and goes down to the valley in order to sell their hand-made wares or exchange them for food. These tours are vital to their survival, since they have no other income – unlike the “rich” Băieşi in the village, who make a good living selling fake jewellery abroad. While the film vividly conveys the anguish felt by people banished to the fringes of society, it also conveys the humour that helps them to get on with their lives.