RomanIstanbul

IMZ World Music Film Screenings

RomanIstanbul © DOP: Adem Guven

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Sarmasik Sanatlar

Genre Documentary | Production Company Sarmasik Sanatlar (Turkey) | Producer Özgür Akgül, Baran Seyhan | Director Özgür Akgül | Art Director Bahar Paşa | Editing Turkuarts | Camera Ulas Zeybek | Editor Berkan Dirim | Source video/audio HD/Dolby surround 5.1 | Recorded Turkey, 2012 | Duration 53' 20"

RomanIstanbul is a documentary about Roma musicians in the music market of Istanbul: their professional organization, musical progress and identity transformations. The background of the story is the struggle of the Roma against discrimination via music and musicians and the spectacular figures of this struggle to achieve public reputation for the Roma society. With the spreading and expanding of the recording industry after 1960, Roma musicians began to organize in the popular music market. On the way from establishing string orchestras to being musical directors and studio musicians, they witnessed dramatic changes in their social acceptance.