22/10/2025
Hazel Marsh presents new film at Ake Dikhea? International Festival of Romani Film
A new film made with the UK’s first Romani-led production company was given its premiere at the Ake Dikhea? International Festival of Romani Film in Berlin on 11 October. A Basket Full of Eggs (18 minutes, 2025), produced by Patrin Films and funded by UEA’s AHRC Impact Accelerator Award, is part of an ongoing project ‘Romani and Traveller Voices in Music Archives’, led by Prof Hazel Marsh (MLC) in collaboration with Dr Esbjörn Wettermark (University of Sheffield) and Library and Archives Director at the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library (VWML) of the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS), Tiffany H**e. The project highlights the immense contributions of Romani and Traveller people to Britain’s folk music styles and repertoires.
The film follows the personal journey of Romani journalist and advocate Liza Mortimer, who uncovers archival recordings and stories of Minty Smith, her great-grandmother, and other Romani folk singers who played an important role in helping preserve England’s traditional folk songs:
‘Hearing my family’s songs and voices in the EFDSS archives has filled me with a deep sense of pride’, says Mortimer. ‘I began by searching for my family’s story, but I discovered a collective legacy far greater than I imagined. This film is a powerful reminder that our stories are not just personal – they are part of a rich collective history that we must now reconnect with’.
The film will be screened in Norwich and other cities over the coming months. For further details, please contact [email protected].
