By Noelle Mann
In a previous issue of Travellers’ Voice, we featured Muló, a new short film set in London, which explores some of the issues affecting Roma communities in the UK and beyond. Muló is currently in post-production and will be completed later this year. Bobi Rostas, who plays the leading role of Nicu, took time out of filming to talk to us about his life and how he became involved in this exciting project.
Bobi explains: “I was working as an interpreter in England, and Linda Cairns the director contacted me as she wanted me to translate some subtitles for the film. She told me what the film was about, and I told her I’m also an actor. I had studied at the University of West London and asked if she would consider me for the role. So we had a meeting, we had a coffee. She said ‘I like you, I like the way you are with cameras, you don’t have to audition,
and you’re perfect for the part.’
“She was looking for actors to play the Roma part, and I’m already Roma and an actor, I don’t have to pretend, it’s there already. I know what it is to be Roma; I know how it can be difficult, and how other people see you. It took more than a year for the whole project, and I was so familiar with the character that I didn’t really have to do much; I felt I was that person. When I was back in Romania I was doing scrap metalling for financial reasons, for money. This character was also finding and collecting scrap metal to sell. I knew how it was to be that person.”
Bobi became interested in acting when he was about 16 or 17 years old. After taking his GCSEs, Bobi spent another three years in college and went onto study a degree in Acting for Stage and Screen. He says: “It’s not an easy career to have as it depends a lot on luck and the people you meet. I know it’s quite a difficult business, but I love acting and always have. I admire Tom Hanks, he’s a wonderful person and I love his work and personality as well, from what people told me about him. I also like Johnny Depp; he’s a great hero of mine.”
Bobi’s achievements are truly inspiring, even more so due to his humble beginnings. “My parents came here before me. I was ten years old when I got to England. We came here in 2000/2001. When I was back in Romania, I never went to school. It was a tough life in Romania for Romani people at that time; it was the last thing you had to worry about. I never went to school there so when I came to England it was the first time I went to school. Everything was new for me, learning to read and learning to write. I felt I was a bit behind compared to all the other students but at the end of the day it all worked out and I’m happy with the road I chose.”
Aside from acting, Bobi enjoys cooking and translating. “I cook for my family sometimes and one night I might do some different culture food like Spanish, food that is not Roma basically. I like to look online for ingredients and different things to cook. I also like doing interpreting. I do it most of the year to pay my bills. I love doing interpreting especially to help other Roma people who don’t speak English. It is very difficult to find an interpreter in England. I think it’s very important to support Romani people who don’t have access to the language.”
Looking to the future, Bobi hopes to expand his experience and act in more films. “I have done small plays and small documentaries, but the parts I’ve played have been pretty small so far. My dream is to make these kinds of cultural films. I want to inspire other Romani people to attend school and be educated. Getting a degree can help you get a different lifestyle. Acting is one of the toughest jobs in the world and so if I can be successful at this you can succeed in your dreams as well, what you want to be, you can go for it.”
