What is "A Story Unwritten”?

What do you think of when you hear the word “gypsy”?

Much of the Roma story has gone undocumented for centuries, passed down through the generations via poetry, song and storytelling. Today, Europe's largest ethnic minority is its most mysterious... and misunderstood.

A Story Unwritten is a feature-length documentary about travelling Roma people in France. Prominent characters from the community let us into their lives and their culture – now under threat of extinction.

What You'll See

French Tzigane circus ringmaster Alexander Romanes and his Romanian wife Delia lead us through tumultuous family life in the big top, as they struggle to continue a traditional lifestyle.

Fiery Roma activist Esmeralda Romanez reveals her daily struggle to save her community from exclusion by battling with politicians and the police.

Manouche poet, educator and fruit picker Françoise Gaspard shows us the striking simplicity of her caravan route around France, despite increasingly stringent regulations that make it harder to move.

Through their eyes and others we witness the decline of the Roma culture over the past few decades and the burning determination to keep it alive. 

Expulsions, fragmentation and fear of “otherness” have pushed a millennial way of life into the margins of European society. 

So that's where we went to find it.

This film reveals fascinating stories, wild humour, invincible spirits, community strength, a love of nature and freedom, and a will to peacefully coexist… all of which prevail among much of Roma society, against the odds and in the face of intense media misrepresentation.

You won’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Roma Life In France

These days, it’s hard to pick up a newspaper in France without reading something shocking about the Roma.

Expulsions, police brutality, forced sedentarization, restrictions and escalating intolerance are part of daily life. Fear and propaganda fuel a largely misplaced perception of the community as lawless, degenerate and dangerous.

Today we see Roma marginalized both socially and physically, setting up camp where they can. Roma culture has always been based on living with nature, but this simplicity has become virtually impossible to sustain. Instead, they are pushed to the outskirts of society, to areas that lack electricity and running water, and are often dangerously contaminated.

For 2000 years, the Roma route through Europe has rarely been lined with rose petals, but it has never been as bad as it is right now.

Today, the Roma find themselves at a crossroads between a turbulent past and an uncertain future. Does the answer lie in independence or in integration into mainstream society? Can both communities meet each other half way?

About Us 

Sairica Rose Writer, Director, Producer

Jennifer Bajdan Co-director, Co-writer

Santi Aguado Co-director, Editor

Markus Ruf Co-Producer, Camera Operator

Gerald Herman 

Executive Producer

Alberto Borque Director of Photography

Benjamin Mahoney Sound Recordist and Designer

Karina Gusalova, Bernhard Linder Production Coordinators

To meet the cast and makers, head to our website: www.astoryunwritten.com

The Finish Line

We’re in the final stretch of the production phase: we'll be wrapping up and editing over the next six months. 

Three quarters of the filming is already complete. Now we need your help to cross the finish line.

The documentary will be ready to share by January 1, 2015.

How Your Donations Will Be Used

Funds raised through this campaign will cover production costs for our fourth and final shoot. It will be a journey of extremes: we start at a major Roma camp in southern France, before heading to the Saint Sarah pilgrimage in the Camargue to film the long-awaited wedding of two of our main characters.

Your donations will help cover travel expenses (transport, food and accommodation) and post-production costs. 

With your help, we’ll also buy original music from our characters at a fair price. Our cast lives on the breadline: throughout this production we've hired them as historical and cultural consultants, musicians and visual advisors.

We really hope you like your rewards. Any mail-ables come with free worldwide shipping. We will ship all by July 1. Film credits, digital copies and invites to the premiere will be delivered by the end of 2014.

The Extra Mile

If we exceed our goal, any extra funds will help make the documentary better. We promise to invest in marketing and distribution to help take the film further and raise awareness of the Roma issue.

We would also love to recreate an age-old secret Roma ritual with our cast to bring the journey full circle. Any extra donations could make this dream a reality. You would be more than welcome to join us for this special day!

Spread The Word

Please share our campaign via Facebook and Twitter, send it to all your friends, or blast it from the rooftops with a foghorn.

Thank you for sharing this journey with us. Love from Sairica and the crew.

Watch the trailer: