The White Raven (2004)

Directed by: Bob Entrop | 70 minutes | documentary | With: Lalla Weis

Lalla Weiss is a special person. The spokeswoman for the Dutch Sinti and Roma is married to a traditional Dutch man, lives in a beautiful semi-detached house and has acquired an important position as a Sinti woman in a community dominated by men. Although she left school at the age of eleven, she has worked her way up to become an important link between community and politics. Documentary maker Bob Entrop made a portrait of this striking lady and does not forget to shed light on the history and current situation of the Sinti and Roma.

The fact that Lalla Weiss has a permanent home does not mean that she has given up the nomadic existence of her ancestors. In the documentary ‘De Witte Raaf’ she is constantly on her way to a memorial service of Django Reinhardt, an OSCE meeting or a Roma project in the Czech Republic. Along the way she reveals her personal history and tells about the fortunes of her people.

A documentary of only 70 minutes seems a bit tight to delve into all those things. The great thing about ‘De Witte Raaf’ is that director Entrop has succeeded reasonably well. Through a sophisticated selection of images and stories we get to know both Lalla Weiss and the Sinti community better. Weiss as an energetic, practical go-getter and the community as a warm but closed family.

Naturally, the persecution of Sinti and Roma during the German occupation is discussed. The horrors are shown in only three telling fragments: a painting showing the horror of the concentration camp, a moving speech at a memorial service in camp Westerbork and the testimony of a survivor read aloud. Sufficient to get a good picture of the prosecution, and indicative of Bob Entrop’s efficient editing and direction.

‘De Witte Raaf’ has become an optimistic documentary. He shows what a pragmatic person like Lalla Weiss can do for her community. He also shows that integration while retaining one’s own identity does not have to be a utopia; Weiss himself is the best example of this. In addition, there is a lot of wonderful music and you can also laugh every now and then. Conclusion? Beautiful man, beautiful portrait, excellent documentary.