Hindus commend French diva Fanny Ardant for highlighting Roma maltreatment

Nevada (US), Oct 8 (ANI): Hindus are asking French actress Fanny Ardant (Ridicule) to exhibit her short drama "Chimhres Absentes", being shown at upcoming Rome Film Festival, to Pope Benedict also to make him aware about Roma (Gypsy) apartheid happening right under his nose in Europe.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in USA today, applauded Ardant for taking up the cause of helpless Roma through this film, which tells the story of Sonietcka, a little Roma girl not admitted at the school refectory owing to her family's poverty.Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that maybe after seeing Ardant's film, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI would openly embrace the Roma cause. Zed argued that Jesus Christ clearly told the world to help the helpless, defenseless and downtrodden and love them, and He showed the way. The Pope, being the acclaimed representative of God on earth, should raise his voice against continuous Roma maltreatment. The Pope should recognize, acknowledge and affirm the Roma as children of God who deserved to be treated like all other people-as equals.

"Chimhres Absentes", a film directed and written by Fanny Ardant against Roma discrimination, stars Ardant herself, Francesco Montanari, Paolo Triestino, and inhabitants of Roma camp Chimhres.

Filmed in Rome and Lazio in Italy in Italian, it is made by Dorje Film. Produced by Fondazione Cinema per Roma, Fifth International Rome Film Festival will be held from October 28 to November 5 at Rome's Auditorium Parco della Musica. Gian Luigi Rondi is the President while Francesca Via is the Director General of the Festival. Total of 146 films will reportedly be shown at the Festival.

Ardent will reportedly meet the audiences during exhibition of this film and will explain her commitment towards the recognition of the Roma rights, and her fight against prejudices about them. Roma were a hot topic in Ardant's home country France where President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered crackdown on Roma sometime back and created an unprecedented row between France and European Union.

Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe in Strasbourg (France) on June 22, Lumiere Award winner Ardant, 61, declared: "We say Dosta! (which means enough) To injustice, humiliation, ignorance and violation of human rights." She further said that society had proved to be barbarian to Roma people.

Rajan Zed urged other celebrities like Oscar winner Angelina Jolie (Changeling), Oscar nominated singer-musician Bono, Golden Globe winner entertainer Madonna (Evita), etc., to undertake the cause of apartheid of about 15-million Roma people of Europe.

Many Hollywood and other celebrities had successfully worked against South Africa's apartheid in the past. (ANI)