The Professional Parent: Unconditional Love, Survival, and Racism

"I'm not going to take care of any gypsy here."

A single mother named Ingrid lives in a small village in eastern Slovakia, where the Roma population is the victim of prejudice. Despite her own preconception, Ingrid decides to become the legal representative of a young Roma girl, which upsets the fragile balance of her home.

Photo from the team

A professional parent is someone who takes care of children in their own home, most similar to the foster care system in the United States. And like some of the horror stories told about foster care, professional parenting is no different.

In under 14 minutes, writer-director Erik Jasaň presents multiple raw interactions between Slovaks and Romani people. Both groups have roots in eastern Slovakia, yet their communities are quite divided. Ingrid works closely with Romani people, but no time is wasted between meeting her and learning of her true intentions towards this group of people.

She worked closely with the Romani, even housing a young girl, yet she still scammed them, watched them struggle, and inflicted harm on them, saving all of her good parts for her family only.

While researching this topic, I met many people with big hearts who truly love this job, but I also came across others who were unable to form a bond with the children. And most of the children in children's homes are of Romani origin, which can lead to situations where some professional parents hold racist views and yet still raise a Romani child in their home. — Erik Jasaň

The Professional Parent shows how one’s struggles and living in survival mode manifest. It’s raw, captivating, informative, and pulls on the audience’s heartstrings for its entire runtime.

The film is currently screening at festivals in Portugal, Ischia, Odense, and more.