Missed Lives – The Dom People

Missed Lives – The Dom People documents the everyday life of Dom, Abdal and Romani families in Antakya, Türkiye. Without a script or staging, the film follows their struggles with deep poverty, social exclusion, and discrimination. Starting as a photography project, it evolved into a documentary that was interrupted by the devastating 2023 earthquake. Many of the recorded materials were lost, yet with rescued footage and new filming after the disaster, the work continued. The result is a deeply personal and collective testimony about survival, erased cultural memory, and increasing rights violations against one of Türkiye’s most marginalized communities.

Director: Mehmet Kuyumcu, Cinematography: Ferman Erol, Editing: Ferman Erol, Ozan Çağlar, Sound Hasan Hıddır (Domari song) Music Traditional Dom music, Narration & Sociology Consulting / Research & Content Development: Aytaç Kayacık, Consultants Erkan Karabulut, Imre Azem, Hemra Nida Köse English Translation Tuba Akın, Newal Beğik, Domari Translation Hatice Kuyumcu, Cast Dom, Abdal and Romani families of Antakya, Production Ali İsmail Korkmaz, Foundation & Truth Justice Memory Center