This film follows the personal journey of Romani filmmaker and advocate Liza Mortimer as she ventures into archival collections in search of her great-grandmother, Minty Smith. What begins as a quest for a single life story becomes a powerful revelation: a rich, interwoven legacy of Romani voices, songs, and cultural influence embedded within England’s traditional folk music.

Through rare recordings and rediscovered stories of Minty Smith and other Romani folk singers, the film illuminates the vital role that Romani communities played in preserving and shaping England’s folk traditions, long overlooked yet deeply influential.

Funded by the University of East Anglia’s AHRC Impact Acceleration Award (AH/X00344/1), the film forms part of the research project Romani and Traveller Voices in Music Archives.

Screenings, Panels & Events
To view the full film or to organise a screening, panel discussion, or related event, please contact:

Professor Hazel Marsh:
hazel.marsh@uea.ac.uk