‘Gelem, Gelem’ – UK’s First Romani-Language Animated Film Premieres in Oldham
Skwigly
A mother and her young son set out before sunrise — a common reality for Roma women who walked long distances to sell handmade goods to support their families. The poster symbolises resilience, labour and the bond between generations.
KaskoSan Roma Charity and the University of Salford have announced the UK premiere of Gelem, Gelem, the first animated film ever produced in Britain entirely in the Romani language.
The short film has been co-created with Roma women from Oldham, drawing directly from their real experiences of migration, motherhood, survival and identity, voiced by the women themselves in their community dialect.
Supported by The Ideas Fund / British Science Association, this premiere marks the culmination of an ambitious creative-research programme enabling traditional Roma families to engage in professional arts production for the very first time.
We come from very closed communities. Many of us had no education, no voice and no power to make decisions about our lives. In the UK, for the first time, we are being trained and supported to speak for ourselves — not having others speak about us. This animation carries our pain and our pride. It shows how far we have travelled — from isolation to possibility.
Maria Palmai, Roma Women’s Group Leader
The wolf represents the dangers faced by children left at home while parents worked long hours — fear, poverty, and the constant threats that shaped childhood. It also symbolises the strength and survival mindset developed across generations.
Countering silence with visibility
Roma culture and history remain largely absent from British cultural life, while Roma people are frequently misrepresented without being heard. This project offers a meaningful shift – from invisibility to self-representation.
This film has been shaped by women who have never before had space to speak publicly about their own lives. Animation allowed us to protect identities while revealing their experiences — in their own language. This is not a film about Roma women; it is a film by Roma women — and that distinction changes everything.
Adelina Court, Director (University of Salford)
A classroom space in Oldham where Roma women gained a voice for the first time — sharing stories, drawing memories and building confidence. Named “Maria’s School” by the women themselves, it represents safety, dignity and the start of their journey into public expression.
There are still some available (free) tickets to the premiere on 18th December, which you can buy here. Beyond the premiere, the film will be entering the 2026 animation festival circuit, and will soon after be expected to make its online premiere later next year (watch this space for news of that).
Roma remain one of Europe’s most misunderstood communities. This premiere shows that our language, history and creativity belong in British cultural life — and that our communities can lead their own stories.
Juice Vamosi, CEO, KaskoSan Roma Charity
For more information on the film and project, you can view the article: Gelem, Gelem – From Silence to Story (Traditional Roma women spark a cinematic first in the UK).
A stylised night-time scene showing the rural world many of the Roma women left behind. Life in these settlements shaped their memories, fears, bonds and cultural identity.