Mercedes Echerer, Walther Steindlegger & Vuc Vasilic - Culture.Summer.Semmering

This story leads into the world of Roma culture – to memories, encounters, and quiet questions of belonging, alienation, and identity. It begins with the memory of a person who stayed. Because some people accompany us for a lifetime, some are temporarily lost, and some are gone forever. Some are idealized, some are forgotten, and some remain in memory. "Her name was ROZSA; I never knew her last name. Aunt Rosza (Hungarian Rozsanéni) – my generation called all older ladies 'Aunt' back then – became part of our family. I never asked how she came to us; today I can no longer ask anyone."

In her attempt to approach the unfamiliar, Mercedes Echerer intertwines historical facts with experiences, memories, and questions. The search for answers oscillates between truth and reality. Interwoven with this tapestry of scenes and stories are old songs in new arrangements, along with original compositions and a healthy dose of jazz.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the recognition of Roma and Sinti as a national minority in Austria, a touching, nostalgic yet contemporary homage to the still unfamiliar is created, which will be shown for the first time at Semmering.