Engelberth’s photographs are close and intimate; as a photographer she is in the process of discovering her own form of expression. She has been working for a long time on a project about the Roma people in Romania and Norway. She gained an unusual degree of access to a relatively closed community that does not ordinarily welcome outsiders. Engelberth is also well on her way to finding her own way to tell stories, which the NJP editorial staff believe offers intriguing opportunities for further growth.
Excerpt from the project description:
The Lives and Traditions of the Roma
“The situation for the Roma in Europe is becoming increasingly difficult. After the Roma were deported from France by Sarkozy, their treatment has received a great deal of attention in the rest of Europe. The Roma often travel around to various EU countries on three-month visas, and have thus become a subclass travelling in and out of these countries. The Roma have become the European minority most subject to discrimination, and their experience in Norway is no exception. Unemployment among the Roma is rife, and many of them are living below the poverty line. The Roma are, and always have been, nomadic. This means that it is natural for many of them to travel to other countries in order to earn money.
I am eager to continue my documentary by delving more deeply into their everyday lives, including the periods when they are not out travelling. I want to examine more closely how they live when they come home, and how the situation in their native country forces them to leave, again and again, to earn a living. I have a number of contacts in Romania, and several of them want me to photograph everything from funerals to weddings, as well as general everyday life. This documentary will make a significant contribution to creating a broader understanding of how the Roma live, and why so many of them depend on travel to other countries to earn money.”