Thursday evening I had the opportunity to attend the film screening of Aferim! at the Cornell Cinema. Before watching this film, I knew very little of Romania’s history. As far as I know, it is not covered in most history classes that an average student would take over their lifetime. This film really brought to life how Gypsy Slaves were treated during this time period. I found their treatment in the film to be comparable to the ways African American slaves were treated in the Americas. Many Gypsies were beaten and whipped throughout the film, and owners went to great lengths to recover runaways and punish them. While watching this film there were many moments that were cringe worthy. Especially when the policeman sold the young Gypsy boy. It was very evident that the child did not want to be sold, and yet the policeman went forth with the sale and made some money off of the boy.

The film was very educational for me. While I had known that in many places Gypsies were enslaved, I was unaware that their treatment was similar to that of African American Slaves in the Americas. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who is interested in Romanian history, or history in general. This story of the policeman and his son’s journey to recover a runaway slave is very eyeopening and could be a useful educational tool.