TRANSYLVANIA – THE CLOSED WORLD OF THE GABOR
They are considered the aristocrats among the Roma – the Gabor community. More than 1,000 live in the village of Karácsonyfalva in Transylvania, still holding on to their ancient traditions.
The village of Karácsonyfalva in the legendary Transylvania region of Romania is the centre of the Gabor community, home to over 1,000 members of the ethnic group. The men wear big black hats, their wives long skirts. Largely shielded from the outside world, they have held on to their customs and rituals for 500 years. This film offers a first glimpse of their intriguing and colourful world. The men travel all over Europe as traders. The women raise the children. Considered the aristocrats among the Roma, most Gabor are Adventists. They have their own laws applying to all areas of life, and disputes are settled within the community. Even the local police rely on the village chiefs in cases of conflict. Weddings are the most important celebrations for the Gabor, for they form the glue holding the community together. Girls are taken out of school at the age of 11 and married at 14. The boys progress from the school desk to the “school of life” at the age of 14. We witness here the marriage of 14-year-old Mundra to 16-year-old Bobby and also get to know other Gabor families. Poverty and wealth collide here at close quarters, and yet the Gabor maintain a close-knit community – caught up between tradition and the pressure for change in a globalised world.