I just wanted to compare these two documentaries since I could find a lot of similarities between the way that Romanians were portrayed.
In Carmen Meets Borat, as we discussed in class, people living in Glod did not seem too bothered by by Borat in the beginning; as they watch the show together, they are also laughing out loud. But when they begin to hope when the German lawyer comes to town suggesting that they can earn money by suing Sasha Cohen, Carmen’s family begin to get leaped apart. Her dad was so hopeful about all the changes that he can bring to town if they were to get this money. But his dreams seemed so big that the audiences can sense that these are not likely to be achieved. And when the lawyer bails on him, Carmen’s dad seems unable to recover from his despair. Without the help of outside, these people are so vulnerable and helpless.
The Romanians Are Coming is similar in a sense that the Roma gypsies who go to England to earn money also seem hopeless. They don’t speak the language, and are hated by most people who live there. I felt so sympathetic to these people who were willing to do anything to support their families back home; however, I knew that despite my hope of them succeeding, they will not be able to get a decent job. But one difference between these two documentaries were that at least in The Romanians Are Coming, these people tried to change their situation themselves. While they despaired when their hopes seemed unachievable, they still try to find a job and do something about their lives. However, in Carmen Meets Borat, although I did understand Carmen’s dad’s behaviors, he did not try to get over his situation when his hopes failed him.
Honestly, since I’m not from Europe, I don’t completely understand all the historical and social reasonings behind the gypsy hatred. But I do wish that this situation would someday get resolved, and I believe that powerful shows that represent these people’s voices would help a lot with this effort.
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