A Love Letter to Romany Culture and a Lesson for Us All

The excitement for this interview is palpable as Jacob and I cheerily greet each over Zoom, with the classic “hello? Hello, can you see me, can you hear me ok?” salutation that’s become a hallmark of virtual meetings. Any nerves that I had for what was my debut interview were instantly quashed by Jacob’s chatty and warm personality and we quickly fell into easy conversation about our respective weekends as if we were old friends.

Jacob looks like he means business with an impressive microphone set-up – truth be told, he looks like a seasoned podcast host, settling down to interview me for his latest episode, rather than the other way round. His creative streak is evident as he later tells me that he actually uses this professional mic when he’s producing music on the side – most recently for a rock garage artist, akin to the early Arctic Monkeys.

In fact, his creativity is something he’s always been aware of, as he started making films when he was just nine years old. He recalls how as a kid he’d spend time at his grandma’s house cutting cardboard boxes into TV sets and present the news to her. He tells me that his entire family has always been supportive of his pursuit of film production, but as we talk it’s evident that it’s his grandma that’s been his biggest cheerleader. She brought him his first camera when he was nine, and he went on to make films with his friends at school. It was just a few years later that he realised filmmaking was his passion and what he wanted to do in the future. In Jacob’s own words, studying film production was “inevitable”.

Delving into his graduate film, Jacob tells me that the title, Our Gypsy Blood, was taken from a poem that was anonymously left at a Romany church. He poignantly explains that,

"It represents the pride that we [Jacob’s family] have for being part of the Romany community. And especially, as well, the Gypsy blood that me and my nan share."

There’s no doubt that his grandma is the leading lady of the documentary. Jacob smiles affectionately as he recalls how his grandma was keen to pin down the filming dates so she could get her hair done specially and plan her outfits. I can attest that she is indeed an incredibly stylish lady. When I asked what her reaction was to the project Jacob grinned as he proudly told me she “was ecstatic, absolutely thrilled”.

He confides that “it was always my intention to get her into a film as she was the one who inspired me to get into film. And I knew that for my entire career every single film would be dedicated to her. Telling her that she was going to be in the first film I direct was an emotional experience in all the best ways.”

Our Gypsy Blood is an exploration of the Romany Gypsy community, as told through the lens of Jacob’s family, in light of the passing of the divisive Unauthorised Encampment Bill in 2022 and the associated stigmatisation of the culture. The narrative is peppered with the family’s rich history, including artefacts and photographs, that the family has held onto to preserve their culture. This includes a black and white photograph of Jacob’s great, great, great, great grandfather taken 250 years ago. I gasp when Jacob tells me this, as it’s so rare and special to be able to trace one’s family history back so far without the assistance of a genealogy company. Jacob admits that seeing the photos for himself was an emotional moment, one of many throughout the process. Make no mistake, this documentary is deeply personal, and you can tell that it’s been made with a lot of heart; a love letter to Jacob’s Romany heritage, if you will.

That’s why it’s rather heartbreaking to hear that Jacob’s not always been so comfortable with his identity as a Romany Gypsy. He confides that “I used to be more open about being part of the community, but due to stigma experienced in my younger life, I kind of shut that part away from me.” He elaborates by telling me that whilst growing up he had to move schools frequently as a result of the severe stigma he faced. I ask whether through the process of creating this documentary he’s been able to rekindle his love for his community and identity. The joy is evident on his face when he confirms “yes, one hundred percent.”

My personal highlight from the documentary was Jacob’s grandmother regaling the audience with stories of Romany life. One story in particular stands out to Jacob – when his grandfather set a washing line on fire because of a cultural faux pas. In Romany culture you never mix what you use in the kitchen with what you wear, so when his granddad spotted tea towels drying alongside clothes on the line, he burnt everything. We laugh as Jacob recounts this story, but all joking aside this is one of many Gypsy traditions that the average person on the street wouldn’t be aware of. And it’s clear to me, in this moment, how Jacob is at once using this documentary to safeguard elements of Romany culture and also to educate people about his community.

I confess to Jacob that I know little about Romany culture, or Traveller culture in general. He does not seem surprised. He confirms that one of his aims of producing the film was to create “a great tool for education and show how much you can normalise the community and show the beauty of it to help people de-stigmatise their own unconscious bias. And that’s why we made the film like we did. We didn’t want to create a film that makes people feel upset and make them feel like they’re in the wrong for what they think.” The conversation takes a deeper turn as we address unconscious bias that can be fostered by simply not learning or talking about something. Persecution due to cultural difference and ignorance is a tale as old as time. Jacob muses, perhaps if Gypsy culture was more readily discussed at school level and the culture was normalised as part of society, then the stigma would dissipate. The irony is not lost on us that by doing this interview Jacob is, in a small way, raising awareness of his community by educating me. And in turn, this article will educate others.

Moreover, the education process started with Jacob’s colleagues working on the film. He tells me that “a lot of them in their own time were sending me articles updating me about the Romany community and they were actively going to their own events to study more about the community. It really meant a lot [to me]. For them, it was not just a film. It was an experience and a chance to learn about a culture they didn’t know much about.” This in itself is incredibly inspiring, and I tell Jacob as such. He agrees with me, and confirms “that has a knock-on effect because they will challenge that stigma and it just spreads the word about the community and the beauty that it has, and hopefully helps my generation feel more and more comfortable being proud about being Romany.”

Our Gypsy Blood has been several years in the making. Jacob tells me that it began as a personal project that stemmed from his grandma telling him stories of her past, which sparked Jacob’s own research into the Romany community. It wasn’t until he started telling people about the idea that it clicked for him – this was the perfect pitch for his graduate film. Unsurprisingly, the team at AUB, his friends and classmates loved the idea, too. Of the experience, Jacob gushes about his film team:

"The whole team was fantastic. It really felt like one of those things where everyone just fit the project perfectly and were extremely passionate about it."

The intention was to live with a travelling family and document nomadic life. But as any creative will tell you, you must be prepared to adapt and follow the story. About two months into production the controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 was passed. This Act has been criticised for the impact on freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and undermining the nomadic way of life. Section 4 of the Act – the Unauthorised Encampment Bill – means that for Travellers, residing or intending to reside on land without the permission of the owner or occupier is now a criminal offence, and if convicted comes with prison time and the risk of their homes being repossessed.

The passing of the bill forced the production team’s hand, and the concept had to be reworked. Not only for practical reasons – the family they were due to stay with pulled out of the project due to fear – but it changed the team’s attitude towards their project, in what they were trying to achieve.

What started out as a “bigger, biting look at the community and what’s happened to it,” became a more nuanced platform to force the viewer to look in on themselves, reflect on both their own and societal prejudice and question why the stigma towards the community exists. In Jacob’s own words, “we want to show them the beauty of the community so that they can make their own judgment.” In short, this film was created to educate and make a difference.

In a twist of irony, the bill passing “was in the same breath both the worst thing that could have happened to the community and to the film, but it also helped shape the film and turn it into what it is today.”

Everything about the documentary is powerful – the words, the stories, the stylisation. On the surface it’s a first-hand commentary on the Romany Gypsy culture, bursting with family anecdotes. However, each choice has been carefully crafted to pack a punch. The opening features an extended interview between Jacob and his grandma that has an almost whimsical, dreamlike quality about it, as they discuss their personal Romany Traveller experience. The reverie is abruptly shattered by cutting to the day that the Unauthorised Encampment Bill is passed. I come to learn that the purposeful sharp juxtaposition is one of Jacob’s signature stylistic choices. Upon describing his own filmmaking style, Jacob tells me that whilst his style is ever evolving, he aims to takes the viewer on a subconscious journey of self-reflection. He does this by “never shying away from the harsh realities, but also never letting that bog down the film and more letting you simmer on that whilst the film takes you on a more whimsical journey.”

Jacob’s a natural storyteller. When I asked him what specifically draws him to documentary filmmaking, he tells me that it’s the “lived experience you can get from it, whether it’s personal or more detached,” coupled with how he finds “getting the chance to tell someone else’s story is endlessly fascinating.” And it seems he’s found his passion, as he confesses that he’d “love to keep doing documentary, purely because of the lived experience aspect… Documentary is just, I think, the best way to present real-world topics, real-world stories, and situations to the most receptive audience possible.”

"Some of the best stories that can be told are the stories that are happening in our real world, just waiting to be told."

This is very much the case for Our Gypsy Blood, as he reveals that he’s currently planning a follow-up with producer Jack as there’s still so much story left to tell. He tells me that now he’s become more “comfortable revisiting and re-loving the culture.”

"I want to be able to go out there and start looking into the community on a wider scale. And when I say wider, I mean, multiple people’s experiences in the community and how the bill has affected them, but also how they keep the community alive in themselves and in their own families."

Our Gypsy Blood is very much Jacob’s story and is the gateway to what’s sure to be a thoughtprovoking, educational and eye-opening series rooted in his love for his culture. I for one can’t wait to see the second instalment.

Commenting on life after AUB, Jacob says “the post-uni experience has almost been just as good if not better for networking with Angels and Demons [BA (Hons) Film Production graduate network] and AUB& which is an incredible platform for meeting new people and networking. All of the support that I’ve received from AUB afterwards has been paramount in getting me more comfortable with getting my foot into the door of the industry. AUB& has been one of the best things I’ve gotten out of university. It’s been an essential tool, basically.”

What’s more, it seems that Jacob’s already followed his own advice for future AUB graduates and filmmakers. He tells me his “one piece of advice would be trust your own stories. I think that if you write from the heart and write about something you know, then you will be able to make something which will exceed any expectations that you have. Writing from your own emotions and from your own heart is the key to really locking in and maturing as a filmmaker and as an artist.” Jacob laughs and tells me that he doesn’t usually speak that poetically, but I suspect it’s the result of his passion for documentary and a sign that he’s going to continue to tell poignant, human-driven stories that aim to make a difference in the world for years to come.