Welcome Nowhere

2015 • 80 minutes

About this movie

Narrated by multi-Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke. “Welcome Nowhere” tells the true story of one community of Roma people (commonly known as Gypsies) living in Bulgaria. After being evicted from their homes, over 200 of them are forced to live in shantytowns without proper sanitation. Despite years of promises from the government for housing, their living conditions only get worse while members of the community struggle to survive with what little they have. Documenting their fight for new homes and featuring interviews with leading Roma Rights experts, “Welcome Nowhere” paints a detailed picture of one of Europe’s most controversial issues.

Ratings and reviews

She is a queen, because of her beautiful blue eyes as a Roma child, she is something unique. If only the Roma people were able to focus on appreciating an educated child, who could try making something of themselves , rather than noticing a pair of stunning eyes against a dark face. However, it's not the Roma peoples fault entirely, they suffer from a stigma that the Bulgarian Government and citizens have projected upon them. They are discriminated against because of their skin color and culture and it is almost impossible for a child in a Roma ghetto to come out and make something of themselves. They are segregated in schools and it is rare for them to finish the sixth grade. Roma people are stuck in a vicious cycle of being uneducated, marrying in their early teens, having a family before eighteen, and then because lack of jobs and education their own children stay uneducated. The Roma people are unable to succeed because the Government and it's citizens lack compassion and the Romas have a sense of entitlement that the Government should fix everything. This documentary is unbiased and honest about what is going on in Bulgaria.

Thoughtful examination of a problem I had no familiarity with. This film allows you to walk in the shoes of the Roma people and understand their situation and struggles beyond the stereotypes we all know of them.