Berlin’s first international Roma theatre festival searches for a common tongue in eight performances from Germany, Italy, Romania, Hungary and the Czech Republic: What unites Roma apart from hatred towards them? And how is it possible to communicate with the rest of society after centuries of oppression?

These are stories of mothers who were forcibly sterilised. Of fathers who helped build states that persecuted them. Of girls and women who respond to sexualised violence with a curse and who explore how trauma influences intimacy and desire. These are dreams of a society in which ghettoisation becomes history once and for all.

Perhaps a common tongue is possible if everyone focusses on a vision of a future society without the oppression of women, men and children. If Roma are willing to talk and the Gadje listen carefully.

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A project by RomaTrial e.V. in co-operation with Volksbühne, Ballhaus Ost and Collegium Hungaricum Berlin. Funded by the Hauptstadtkulturfonds

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For the Common Tongue theatre festival I photographed the plays ”Trauma Kink” at Ballhaus Ost and “Dajori” at Grüner Salon in Volksbühne Berlin.