Category Archives: Italy

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Alina Şerban

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Alina Şerban

The Romanian film “Eu contez” [I matter] directed by Alina Șerban won the Audience Award at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, marking a historic achievement for Romanian cinema.

Alina Șerban, a Roma director, is the first Romanian to present a feature film at the Venice Festival, and her film addresses themes of social exclusion and identity through the story of a young Roma woman.

The film has received widespread acclaim for its emotional authenticity and is expected to be a strong contender for international distribution and possibly an Oscar nomination.

Italy News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

I Matter

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I Matter

“I Matter,” the debut feature film by director Alina Șerban, premiered on September 8 at the Venice International Film Festival in the Venice Spotlight section, making her the first Roma female director in the festival’s official selection.

The film follows Rebeca, a young Roma woman preparing to leave her care center, hoping to find stability through her father’s release from prison, but faces challenges in her transition to independent life.

The film, a Romania-Germany-Belgium co-production, will be released in Romanian cinemas in February 2027 and is also competing for the Luigi De Laurentiis Award for Best Debut and the Audience Award in the Venice Spotlight section.

Italy News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

Alina Şerban

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Alina Şerban

Alina Șerban, acclaimed for her role in ‘Housekeeping for Beginners’, returns to the Venice Film Festival as a director and screenwriter with her debut feature ‘Eu contez (I Matter)’, premiering on September 8.

The film, a Romanian-German-Belgian co-production, tells the story of a Roma teenager preparing to leave a care center, highlighting underrepresented narratives in cinema.

‘Eu contez’ competes for the Luigi De Laurentiis Award for Best Debut and the Audience Award, featuring a cast that includes Denisa Farcaș and Sorin Mihai.

Italy News Western Europe

Abduction

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Abduction

A newborn Roma girl was kidnapped from a children’s home in Caserta, Italy, where she had been living for over a month, marking the fifth abduction in her family.

The girl’s siblings were previously taken by their parents to Romania due to severe neglect and poor living conditions, leading to a court ruling that separated them from their parents.

The case is being handled by lawyer Simona Molisso, who is calling for public assistance in locating the missing girl, emphasizing the urgency and violence of the situation.

Italy News Western Europe

Corsa degli Zingari

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Corsa degli Zingari

The ‘Corsa degli Zingari’ is an ancient tradition in Abruzzo, characterized by elements of faith, devotion, and competition, officially presented for the 2026 edition scheduled for September 6 in Pacentro.

The event, dedicated to the worship of the Madonna di Loreto, attracts many participants who run barefoot through challenging terrain, showcasing the blend of sacred and profane elements in the culture.

Local officials emphasize the event’s growing international recognition and its role in promoting tourism and cultural heritage in the region.

Italy News Western Europe

Italy, Crime, and Roma

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Italy, Crime, and Roma

A very large number of articles in the Italian boulevard press about a police operation against “Sinti” gangs suspected in several criminal activities.

How about making as many comments on the ‘Ndrangheta or on the Mafia?

Italy News Western Europe

Inclusion Project

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Inclusion Project

The “Inclusion and Integration of Roma, Sinti, and Caminanti Children and Adolescents (RSC)” project is an institutional initiative aimed at combating school dropout, educational poverty, and social exclusion, funded by the National Inclusion Programme and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+).

Italy News Western Europe

Ferraris

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Ferraris

Two Ferraris worth over €200,000 ended up at the center of a complex scam involving changes of ownership and companies linked to the same family, apparently Sinti from the region. This is the case on which the Supreme Court ruled, upholding the seizure of one of the supercars and rejecting the appeal filed by a woman living in the Venice area.

Italy News Western Europe

Roma Camps in Italy

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Roma Camps in Italy

For a long time, Italy parked Roma in segregated camps that were de-facto ghettoes. Now the trend reverses, and 50 camps have been closed in the last 10 years, with 63% fewer people living in slums.

“One Hundred Camps,” the annual report on the condition of Roma and Sinti in Italy, compiled by the Associazione 21 luglio, captures the collapse of an “architecture of discrimination” used for decades to manage migration flows fleeing the Balkan wars.

Italy News Western Europe

The Usual

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The Usual

The usual reporting about  Roma in Ialy. A police action arresting 8 people in Sarzana, next to la Spezia for burglaries and other offences.

Bad for all.

Italy News Western Europe

Who are Roma?

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Who are Roma?

An article lin the Italian press about Roma. Roma, a European people of Indian origin, have a vibrant and complex culture. Their historical mobility is not “innate” but arises from expulsions, conflicts, and marginalization. The term “Gypsy” carries stereotypes and stigma, obscuring their identity and history.

They highlight a book “The Roma Journeys” by Joakim Eskildsen.

Italy News Western Europe

Fenice, Venice

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Fenice, Venice

On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 10:30 a.m., Romani music will be presented in the Gran Teatro La Fenice in Venice, with a stunning concert in the Sale Apollinee. The event is held to mark International Roma and Sinti Day, celebrated on April 8, and the third Romani Culture Week (Romani Week).

The concert will feature Gennaro Spinelli, violin soloist, and Santino Spinelli, accordion soloist, who have performed on some of the world’s most important stages for years.

Italy News Western Europe

Razzia in Naples

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Razzia in Naples

A Roma camp in Naples was raided by Carabinieri. As usual, Roma are equated with “Nomads” and with crime, even though those camps are heavily regulated and often have police at the entrance …

Italy News Western Europe

Forgotten Genocide

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Forgotten Genocide

A forgotten genocide, a page of history that has remained on the margins of collective consciousness, resurfaces thanks to Pino Petruzzelli’s theater of civic conscience. At the Teatro Eleonora Duse in Genoa, from Thursday, March 26th to Sunday, March 29th, “Zingari: l’Olocasto dimenticata” (Gypsies: The Forgotten Holocaust), written, directed, and performed by Pino Petruzzelli, will be performed in a minimalist production that entrusts words with the task of restoring a voice to those who have never had one.

Italy News Western Europe

Pavia and Roma

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Pavia and Roma

The 21 Luglio Association has criticized the city’s plan to create a new residential area in Bivio Vela to house some Sinti families currently residing in the Piazza Europa shantytown, one of the city’s historic settlements. According to Carlo Stasolla, president of the association, creating housing spaces reserved for a single ethnic community is a resurgence of an outdated model. “Monoethnic settlements,” he states, “risk turning into new ghettos and do not foster real inclusion.”

Italy News Western Europe

Romani Language and Culture

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Romani Language and Culture

The second edition of the “Romani Language and Culture” course will begin on March 4th at Sapienza University of Rome. The course aims to offer a comprehensive overview of the language, traditions, and history of the Romani people, with a multidisciplinary approach that combines theory, practice, and critical reflection. Topics covered include Romani grammar, culture and traditions, the Samudaripen (the extermination of Roma and Sinti during Nazi-Fascism), the living conditions of Roma in Europe and Latin America, inclusion policies, the fight against discrimination and hate speech, the struggle for civil rights, and the promotion of a culture of respect and integration.

Italy News Western Europe

Pavia and Roma

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Pavia and Roma

The Sinti camp in Piazzale Europa on the banks of the Ticino River, in Pavia. The settlement has existed since 1984, and 265 people live there. It needs to be moved, the problem is that no one wants it …

Italy News Western Europe

Italy: Festival

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Italy: Festival

The eighth edition of the Roma and Sinti Culture Festival concluded Sunday, February 22, at the 10 Settembre 1943 Auditorium in Isenia. The event that combined fashion, music, and artistic competition in the spirit of inclusion and promoted by the Rom In Progress Association with the patronage of the municipal and provincial governments.

Italy News Western Europe

Italy: Integration

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Italy: Integration

The first co-planning session for regional interventions to improve the integration of Roma, Sinti, and Caminanti (RSC) communities in Puglia was held at the Puglia Regional President’s Office. The objective is to gain a deeper understanding of the nomadic and sedentary presence of RSC communities in Puglia, thus avoiding the risk of marginalization through measures that strengthen social integration policies. The meeting was attended by the regional councilor for Culture and Knowledge, Silvia Miglietta, and the Social Territorial Areas that responded to the expression of interest, which closed on February 13th. “This meeting,” the councilor said, “will be followed by others.

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