This week I watched a Romanian documentary called Dacians – Unsettling Truths. I chose a program in Romanian because few people know, or remember, that it is one of the five romantic languages which include French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Spanish is my first language meant that in school I had to learn another language. I took French in high school and can dabble in Italian and Portuguese due to their strong similarities with the Spanish language. Naturally, I felt compelled to learn more about this sister language which is as old and rich as Latin itself.
While watching the program, I had to follow along, and pause numerous times to read the subtitles so that I could understand the information provided. It didn’t take long before I noticed the similarities between Romanian and Spanish. As I read along, I could hear words that were very familiar yet pronounced just ever so slightly different. It sounded like a perfect blend of Latin and Slavic languages.
While the documentary is of Romania and its people, they are very much like the people I see here in the US. If they were speaking in English, I would not be able to tell one from another. This extends into the way they dress, and mannerisms. They seem no different from anyone else and share the same values for personal identity and history. The program centered around Romanians wanting to better understand their past and where they come from. This is true for every group of peoples on this earth today. We all treasure our culture and customs.
In the program, there were times where we could see parts of Romania which were mountainous, flat plains, and cities. All very similar to the many different states found here in the US. The one aspect that I enjoyed most from the scenes of Romania is its many old buildings with antique facades. That is something that this country lacks due to its relatively young age.
You can find the documentary on YouTube at:
Dennis
Hello Kirby, I love how you chose to watch the whole documentary in Romanian and read the subtitle to follow the contents of the blogs and I do agree with you on how in Rome their value and mannerism are almost the same as ours. Due to the fact that I have a chance to work and interact with many Romanian foreigner in the past.
butlerk
This looks like an interesting documentary. In my free time I will be sure to look at the link you posted. Thanks for the post!