Critic Rosalino Levantino wrote about RUKELI on Bağımsız İletişim Ağı – bianet, a historic independent media outlet based in Istanbul, in the Kültür Sanat (Culture and Art) section.

He writes that the short film takes us “into the tragic life of an athlete full of life” and that, in just six minutes, this black-and-white animation captivates the viewer, allowing us to hear Rukeli’s story as a true “Romani epic” told in the first person.

The review highlights how the film reminds us that the Nazi Shoah did not affect only Jewish people, but also Roma and Sinti communities, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and political opponents, and how this memory gives the short film a strong political and contemporary value.

The final dedication to Michelle Seferoviç is also mentioned, linking the story of Johann “Rukeli” Trollmann to racist violence happening today, including in Italy.

A heartfelt thank you to Rosalino Levantino and the Bianet editorial team for the attentive, militant, and poetic perspective with which they welcomed our film, all the way from Istanbul.

Meanwhile, RUKELI’s journey continues: after Venice and the screenings in Italy, the short film is now preparing to reach a festival in Turkey as well, where we feel this story of Roma resistance and struggle against Nazism will resonate powerfully.

Full review (in Turkish) here.