Judgment in Hungary : TRIAL OF THE SERIAL KILLING AGAINST ROMA

TRIAL OF THE SERIAL KILLING AGAINST ROMA

In 2008 and 2009, a group of Hungarian right-wing extremists committed a series of attacks on random members of the Roma community. Six people were killed, including a five-year-old, and another five were injured. The trial of the four suspects lasted two-and-a-half years, and the verdict was passed in August 2013. Director Eszter Hajdú filmed the trial and condensed it to create an oppressive Kammerspielfilm. The 167 days of hearings was only documented continuously by Eszter Hajdu and her crew. This film traces the fate of Roma families who trust the judicial system to give them closure. They believe that the murderers – who killed their child, their grandchild,their spouse, their sibling – will be punished. They trust that the Hungarian state will protect them. Will these families achieve what they seek? What will be the outcome of the marathon, year-long trial? Can the Roma trust in the Hungarian justice system?