In this compelling conversation, actress Katarina Kokenyova discusses her deeply personal lead role in the film Rozkvet.
Directed by Thomas Pollock, the drama breaks new ground by depicting the underrepresented history of Romani persecution during the Holocaust, following a Roma woman forced to take up arms to protect her family.
Playing a Romani woman resisting persecution during the Second World War carries a particular significance when you share that heritage yourself. How did your personal connection to the character influence your approach, and did it bring any additional responsibility to the role?
It was extremely important to me, and a real privilege, to be able to bring this story to life. I approached it with the utmost respect because
of how significant this story is.
To my knowledge, this is the first time a film has told this particular story in this way. The persecution of Romani people during the Holocaust is still not spoken about or represented nearly enough, and sadly, prejudice against Romani people continues to this day.
How do you hope this film impacts the current public perception and stereotypes surrounding the Romani community?
I believe that much of this prejudice comes from a lack of understanding and knowledge. When Romani people are represented in the media, it is often through negative or stereotypical portrayals, rather than as real, complex human beings with their own histories, experiences, and struggles.
With this film, we wanted to shine a light on what Romani people went through in the past, while also acknowledging that many continue to face discrimination and hardship today. My hope is that, through this story, audiences can gain a deeper understanding of our history and begin to see Romani people beyond the stereotypes – with empathy, compassion, and humanity, rather than fear and prejudice.
Romani experiences of persecution during the Holocaust remain underrepresented in mainstream film and television. Was there anything you discovered about this history during your preparation that changed your understanding of the period or the character you were playing?
I was already well aware of this history, and sadly, to play this character, I didn’t have to look too far for inspiration. I could draw from my own experiences. From a very young age, I experienced prejudice, racism, and segregation myself.
These were not easy memories to revisit or emotions to tap into, but I knew I had to go there to bring honesty and truth to the character. In many ways, I could relate to her very deeply, and I understood her experiences on a personal level.
Your character takes up arms to protect her family, placing her in a situation where survival demands difficult decisions. How did you approach portraying someone whose strength is shaped by fear, love, and the instinct to protect the people closest to her?
When you strip everything away, at the end of the day, I approached her simply as a human being, which, in many ways, came quite naturally to me. I didn’t have to imagine much, because I’m a mother myself, and I know I would do anything to protect my child.
My character also has a very close relationship with her sister, which is something I share in my own life. My sister and I are best friends, so that was another connection I could draw from personally. In that sense, I was lucky that I didn’t have to imagine these relationships or do a lot of deep research to understand them. I could simply draw from my own life experiences, which made it quite natural for me to relate to her feelings, her motivations, and what drove her.
The production made a point of ensuring that all Romani characters are played by Roma actors. What did that mean to you personally, and how important do you think it is for Romani performers to have opportunities to tell their own community’s stories?
For us, having all the Romani characters played by Romani actors was non-negotiable, because we wanted to tell this story as authentically as possible. And honestly, who better to portray a Romani character than someone who has actually lived the experience of growing up as a Roma person?
It saddens me that even today, Romani characters are often played by non-Romani actors, when there are so many incredibly talented Romani artists out there. I believe that if you make the effort to look, you will find them. I’ve also seen cases where non-Romani actors simply darken their skin with fake tan to portray us, which I find quite insulting because it reduces our identity to a caricature rather than showing us as real human beings. For me, it’s about authenticity, respect, and giving Romani actors the opportunities they deserve.
The film brings together established professionals and newcomers. Did that mix affect the atmosphere on set, and was there anything you learned from working alongside actors with very different levels of experience?
I’m really glad this question came up, because one of the things I learned is that you never really know what talent you have until you give yourself a chance.
The two actors playing Kvetka and Jan had never acted before, and honestly, after watching the film, if you didn’t know that, you would never guess. They were absolutely incredible, and we were all blown away by their performances. Being Romani themselves, they have worked really hard and understood the responsibility of telling this story and the importance of showing our community in a different light from how we are so often portrayed in the media.
Working alongside established actors was equally amazing. For me, acting alongside Pavel Kříž, whom I’d watched in films and series since I was a child, was a real highlight. And honestly, the entire cast was exceptional. Everyone brought something of their own to their character and made them truly come alive beyond the script. I’m just over the moon with our cast. It was a wonderful experience, and I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of it.
If you could invite your character to sit down with you today, what would you most want to ask her – and what do you think she would make of the world we live in now?
I think if I could sit down with her, I would love to know what happened to her for the rest of her life, and whether she achieved her dreams. But without giving away any spoilers, I think I’ll leave it at that.
I think she would be really happy to see that, even today, there are people who remember these stories and want to bring them to the world. But I also think there would be some sadness, because if we look around the world today, sadly, we still haven’t learned from history. The atrocities she lived through are still happening to other people and other nations. And I think it would be heartbreaking for her to see that, to this day, we are still struggling with racism, segregation, and prejudice.
But I would also tell her that we haven’t lost our fire. We are still here. Many of us are thriving, following our dreams, and continuing to fight for a better future. And we will never give up.
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