Blogpost by Dr. Andra-Octavia Drăghiciu “The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions”. On Why the Documentary “Acasă, My Home” Missed Its Chance
In contrast to numerous praises, Dr. Andra-Octavia Drăghiciu takes a critical approach to Acasă, My Home (directed by Radu Ciorniciuc, Romania, 2020) in her article. It focuses primarily on the aesthetics of a film which, regardless of its makers' intentions, has been in the public eye and has triggered or reproduced discourses. What about the lack of awareness and transparency regarding the specific positionality of the filmmakers? How did an unbalanced distribution of power contribute to the creation of the final product? Does the film reinforce antigypsyist stereotypes?
In fact, the documentary would have benefited from a different approach. There are two main reasons why the film Acasă, My Home missed its chance to tell the story of a vulnerable family in a respectful way: 1) Ignorance regarding the portrayal of racism and antigypsyism in film, and 2) a lack of self-reflection regarding the positioning of the filmmakers.
The article addresses these issues constructively. So how can such problems be avoided in the future?