The writer Mariella Mehr has been all her life figthing politicially as well as with her literary work for the rights of the Yenish (Swiss Gypsies) by uncovering a dark chapter of Swiss history

Hundreds of yenisch children were separated from their parents from 1926 untill the seventies by the campaign „children oft he open road“ by the foundation Pro Juventute. In order to „reeducate them they were given to foster families or put into childrens homes. Mariella Mehr was a double victim of this campaign – she wasn’t only separated from her mother, they also took away her son from her as a small child. In her books she describes with painful intensity her experiences oft he violence and humiliations she had to bear, which were same time the experiences of all the Yenish.

Filmmaker Marianne Pletscher Mariella Mehr have become close friends in the last 20 years. Thanks to this friendships several films could be made which show the most important periods oft he writers life. For her 6oth birthday she compilated a film with material of her old films, joining some new material.