We've all heard stories of the Gypsies. Some romantic, some not so flattering. But, I for one, never knew their true origin. This carefully shot documentary tells their tale. Just as the American Indians were misnamed by Europeans, so were the Gypsies. Ironically, they were the real Indians, but Europeans assumed these immigrants came from Egypt -- and therefore misnamed them.

Cinematically speaking, "A People Uncounted" is beautifully shot with lush rich images shot off-tripod for the most part. But, worry not, all of these gentle careful roving shots are not of the shaky nervous sort, but of the sweet, artistic sort, likely crafted by an expert steady-cam operator. In any case, this mysterious wisping through of the production adds an air of the surreal, perhaps akin to the contrast some of the Roma holocaust survivors must feel when remembering their tragic childhoods in context of their present day lives.

This is a production that seeks to correct the classic misconceptions of Roma that most of us still assume. It also serves as an emblem of identity for a people without a country. And lastly, it's a cautionary reminder that the Holocaust was not some freak accident of history, rather it's evidence of an ugly tendency of human nature that needs always to be kept in check by each citizen of the world who similarly has the bad habit of shying toward complacency instead of speaking out against marginalization of any group of fellow humans.

-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --