Roma/Sinti in Berlin

Laszlo Moholy-Nagy (1895-1946): photographer, filmmaker, typographer, painter, sculptor, writer, graphic designer, stage designer, and teacher. Began his work with visual media during military service in World War I. Fled Budapest, Hungary, in 1919, amid political upheaval. Came to Berlin, Germany, in 1920, and in 1923 joined the faculty of the German BAUHAUS school. Of all the Bauhaus group, Moholy-Nagy was the most important in the development of visual communications. He left Germany in 1934 and in 1937 moved to Chicago, where he founded the New Bauhaus. 

Roma/Sinti in Berlin 

Romani group in Berlin filmed by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy in 1932. 00:00:40 Horse grazing near camp. Overhead shots of wagons, horses near by. Child in courtyard. 00:01:11 Woman washes child in wagon doorway. Children comb hair. CUs children. 00:01:42 Children play with banners. 00:02:04 Shots of wagons and horses, men with horse, slap hands. Men into wagons. 00:02:36 CU of woman. Wagon along road. Men drive off in cart. POV cart, leaving camp. 00:03:02 Berlin street, wagon. 00:03:18 Horse market. 00:04:01 Girl in wagon at market, CU. More horse market. 00:04:36 CU man, profile, boy with horse. 00:05:27 Woman stops pedestrians to read fortunes. 00:06:23 Man sells cloth on street. 00:07:07 General shots of Roma camp. 00:07:19 Men at beer garden, play cards. 00:08:19 Fight at the camp. More fighting. Agitated children, people running into wagon. 00:09:19 Good shot of woman walking, CU of man, woman at window. 00:09:35 Woman drags other woman out of caravan, they fight. Children in wagon, tease camera. Children fight. 00:10:23 Children mug for camera and play. 00:11:00 Family group, woman pushes man. 00:11:18 Good CU woman. Beer barrel. 00:11:33 Children walk out of store with milk can, along to camp. CUs of men. 00:12:00 Groups sitting at table, drinking. Children playing, dancing. More good CUs. 00:12:51 Adults dance, play music. 00:13:38 Woman does traditional looking dance. 00:14:12 Man performs a dance, woman joins. Intercut with CUs children watching or dancing. CUs musicians and girl dancing. Men dancing, all dance in group. 

See article by Laszlo's wife, Sibyl Moholy-Nagy, about their work together filming"Grossstadt Zigeune" called"Experiment in Totalit" with an introduction by Walter Gropius, published by MIT Press in 1969. In it she quotes a letter dated July 29, 1932, and describes his return to Berlin at the end of the summer, with plans for a film to be called"Gypsies" She also describes the filming as"during the depression" 

Production date is unclear from documentation at MoMA. Sybil Milton's research indicates 1932. Kyoto Film Festival 2001 program dates it 1932-33. 

VHS time code starts 07:00:19.