Romani Musicians and the Artistic Representation of the Romani Holocaust: In the Film And the Violins Stopped Playing
Romani Musicians and the Artistic Representation of the Romani Holocaust: In the Film And the Violins Stopped Playing

Summary/Abstract: There are a relatively small number of feature films that openly and exclusively address the Romani Holocaust. However, it was arguably the 1988 film And the Violins Stopped Playing that marked the major breakthrough in the tradition of representing the Romani Holocaust, for its plot focuses entirely on the Roma and their plight during World War Two. This article examines this cinematographic representation of the Holocaust, focusing on depictions of Romani culture while taking into account the assumption of the privileged position of Romani musicians among the Roma. The film, which is an adaptation of the 1985 novel of the same title by Alexander Ramati, shows the Romani Holocaust from the perspective of Romani musicians. It can be argued that not only the plot or the visuals, but also actual sounds heard throughout the film, offer meaningful insights into the reading of this work. The article claims that the film approximates the Romani Holocaust by equally involving visual and musical aspects, which, like the story shown onscreen, are not devoid of stereotyping

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