I don’t want special treatment! – Alina Serban in conversation

Alina presented her auto-biographical play, I declare at my own risk, at Roma Heroes Festival. The play provides insight into the difficult moments of Alina’s life, her important decisions, her often controversial but always true thoughts and feelings. According to the actress who got to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London from a Romanian Gypsy yard, having climbed a mountain doesn’t mean that you have arrived. You may get some rest before you start climbing another mountain. She claims that we must consider carefully what Roma image we show and how it reinforces the superficial stereotypes that are present in many people. The human similarity is much more important than otherness. Roma theatre is theatre, same as non-Roma theatre. It is vital not to treat Roma people, nor Roma theatre as something ‘special’. If the topic and the artistic realisation is good enough, the artists should be in the mainstream instead of a cultural ghetto – from where they can step out on some special days to be seen just for a moment.

The interview series were made with the help of the students of CEU: Ignácz Judit, Sadie Luetmer és Mayya Kelova, Frederik Ørskov; and the professional supervision of Jeremy Braverman. The videos were edited by Márton Illés and Dénes Fellegi.

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