Movie on hate and healing in focus of Roma and Sinti event in Warsaw

The film That Boy, screened today at the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, follows the journey of Toby, a former Roma refugee, and Mirek, a former neo-Nazi, as they confront the roots of hate and explore the possibilities of dialogue and reconciliation. It revisits the largely untold story of anti-Roma violence that spread across parts of Central and Eastern Europe in the 1990s.

The film screening, hosted by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), together with Fundacja Jaw Dikh, served as a starting point for a discussion about hate, reconciliation and healing among Roma and Sinti communities, who remain among the most marginalized groups in the OSCE region.

“Our future lies in our children. If they learn this story, they can consciously choose their path—whether to follow hatred or build something better," says Toby Górniak, a Roma rights activist.

“Everyone should see this film. Such stories hold immense educational potential, as they reveal that every ideology of hatred often stems from specific people, emotions, and choices. The Roma constantly experience violence or exclusion, but this topic is often forgotten or ignored,” says Elżbieta Mirga-Wójtowicz from Fundacja Jaw Dikh.

The film offered participants a powerful reminder of the lasting impact of hatred, and at the same time the potential for transformation, justice and healing. With the rise of exclusionary politics, the mainstreaming of far-right ideologies and the growing diversity of European societies, speakers stressed that reflecting on these historical patterns is vital to respond to today’s challenges posed by extremist movements.