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Zakarpattia

Zakarpattia (2018) explores issues of place, identity, and traditionality among wedding musicians in the borderlands of Transcarpathia, Ukraine. The film follows the Manyo Family Band from the small town of Tiachiv as they embark on their annual tour of Hungary, and examines these musicians’ complex relationships with their own Ruthenian-Romani identities as they struggle to make a living within a post-socialist “world music” context. Along the way, we meet other musicians whose stories shed light on the experiences of Romani musicians during communism and post-Soviet transition.

  • Shaun Williams
    Director
  • Shaun Williams
    Producer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Закарпаття
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Genres:
    Ethnographic, Music, Human Rights
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 24 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 30, 2018
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Ukraine
  • Language:
    Hungarian, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, 1080p
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Culese din Balkani
    Bucharest
    Romania
    November 4, 2018
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Shaun Williams

Shaun Williams is a musician, ethnographer, and filmmaker based in Bucharest, Romania. Born in Ohio, USA, he is currently a PhD candidate in Ethnomusicology at Indiana University. From 2008-2012, Shaun served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in the Transcarpathia and Pokuttia regions of western Ukraine, where he worked with Romani rights and disability rights organizations. He has worked on several short films, documentaries, and independent feature films as an editor and sound designer since 2006. “Zakarpattia” (2018) is his feature directorial debut.

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