Opening 15 Sep 2022
Directed by:
Andrei Schwartz
Writing credits:
Andrei Schwartz
Hamburg, a city of wealth, has become a desired location for both political and economic refugees who come with the desire to improve their lives. Due to the increasing social pressures, the local authorities have passed laws to get rid of unwanted solicitations. Hamburg is also a place where a group of Romanian Roma have journeyed to provide money for their families by begging.
Europa Passage follows the lives of Maria Luca and Ion Luca Tirloi and their relatives as they face unwanted stress daily. Director Andrei Schwartz respectfully accompanies them as he shows us the harsh realities they face both in Hamburg as well as in their own little town of Namaiesti in Romania. The documentary covers a span of five years showing a strong contrast between the two societies as well as the social humiliation of the Roma face in society since they have been reduced to being beggars. (Shelly Schoeneshoefer)
