“Black bird, take my letter. Let other Romanis know that we are imprisoned.” Such are the words of one song created in Auschwitz concentration camp. The history of the Romani community in Lithuania dates back several hundred years. However, they always maintained their own culture with its specific rules and for that reason were misunderstood and perceived as a threat by the remaining society. During the war it grew into to a massive genocide of Lithuanian Romani. When Nazi Germany occupied Lithuania Romani were taken to concentration camps and deprived of their possessions. This documentary recounts a story of a Lithuanian Romani Sonia, its recording has been preserved by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Sonia’s memories of the genocide intertwine with stories from Romani history researchers, for the listerner it opens a new chamber of Lithuanian history.

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Script Martyna Šulskutė

Writer Karolis Vyšniauskas

Recording, sound design and editing Kata Bitowt
Podcast NARA
Animation Emilija Juzeliūnaitė