Children of the Open Road (1992)
In 1939, after barely escaping the Nazis, a Gypsy family returns to Switzerland only to be torn apart by racial persecution in the benign guise of children's welfare. This fictionalized story of Jana, an eight-year-old Gypsy girl snatched from her parents and consigned to a life of orphanages and bleak foster homes, is based on a little-known chapter of Swiss history: From 1926 to 1972, the state-supported Pro Juventute, a children's aid foundation, forcibly removed some 700 Gypsy children from their families, in order to sever the ties with their culture and assimilate them to a "better way of life." The underlying aim was to preempt a new generation's caravans from following their nomadic traditions along Switzerland's country lanes.
Director: Urs Egger
Genre: History, Drama
Runtime: 117 min
Release Date: January 1, 1992
Cast
- Jasmin Tabatabai - Jana Kessel
- Andrea Eckert - Theresa Kessel
- Hans Peter Korff - Dr. Schoenefeld
- Nina Petri - Fräulein Roth
- Wolf-Dietrich Berg - Heinrich Hottinger
- Herbert Leiser - Paul Kessel
- Mathias Gnädinger - Roger Kessel
- Noemi Steuer - Andrina Kessel
- Johanna Karl-Lory - Wahrsagerin
Screenplay
Cinematography: Lukas Strebel
Editing: Barbara Hennings
Production: Panorama Films (CH), Lichtblick Film, Wega Film
Country: Germany, Austria, Switzerland
Language: Deutsch
Original Language: de
More Films by Director: Urs Egger
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Children of the Open Road about?
- In 1939, after barely escaping the Nazis, a Gypsy family returns to Switzerland only to be torn apart by racial persecution in the benign guise of children's welfare. This fictionalized story of Jana, an eight-year-old Gypsy girl snatched from her parents and consigned to a life of orphanages and bleak foster homes, is based on a little-known chapter of Swiss history: From 1926 to 1972, the state-supported Pro Juventute, a children's aid foundation, forcibly removed some 700 Gypsy children from their families, in order to sever the ties with their culture and assimilate them to a "better way of life." The underlying aim was to preempt a new generation's caravans from following their nomadic traditions along Switzerland's country lanes.
- Who directed Children of the Open Road?
- Children of the Open Road was directed by Urs Egger.
- Who stars in Children of the Open Road?
- Children of the Open Road stars Jasmin Tabatabai, Andrea Eckert, Hans Peter Korff, Nina Petri, Wolf-Dietrich Berg, Herbert Leiser.
- How long is Children of the Open Road?
- Children of the Open Road has a runtime of 1h 57m (117 minutes).
- What genre is Children of the Open Road?
- Children of the Open Road is a History, Drama film.
- Where was Children of the Open Road produced?
- Children of the Open Road was produced in Germany, Austria, Switzerland.