Relic Hunters (S2Ep6 – Gypsy Jigsaw)
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h63iuxzP10
Relic Hunters : Brief encounter with the Romanian land
The series centers on Sydney Fox, a Trinity College professor who is also a globe-trotting "relic hunter" and who looks for ancient artifacts to return to museums and/or the descendants of the original owner. She is aided by her linguistic assistant Nigel and occasionally by her somewhat air-headed secretary Claudia (in seasons 1 & 2) and Karen (in season 3). She often ends up battling rival hunters seeking out artifacts for monetary gain. The series includes fantasy and science fiction elements, with many of the relics featured having genuine supernatural powers or being pieces of unusually advanced technology. In “Gipsy Jigsaw”, Sydney and Nigel travel to Romania (Bucharest) and the request of a fellow scholar who was murdered in the center of Bucharest by mysterious assailants. The focus of their quest is the long lost treasure (Crown) of the Rroma people and they are aided in their quest by a handsome Rroma man (Adrian), who takes them to Castle Laszlo, a medieval fortress of the Rroma people.
In terms of representations of the Romanian language, however, one can’t help but notice that, verbally, it is not re-enacted, as every person encountered by the main characters appears to speak perfect English (although, in some cases, with an accent): from Adrian, the shop owner, the taxi driver, to the gypsies from the forest camp. Nonetheless, there a few written evidence of the Romanian language along the episode: the name of shops Sydney and Nigel pass by in Bucharest (where one can distinctly see the words “Consignatie”, “Macelarie” and “Telefonica”) and the writing on the Tarot card found by them in the Laszlo Castle. Throughout the episode, there is a particular idyllic and partly fantastic atmosphere through which Bucharest and its surrounding areas are depicted, not to mention the imaginary elements that were added which, combined with the real ones, bring a certain charm and fascination with these lands, such as: the imaginary Mount Pentruk, Castle Laszlo (whose medieval ruins sprung from the middle of the forest), the gypsy camp in the forest, as well the amazing green scenery and the beautiful buildings and clean (garbage-free) surroundings, not to mention the fact that, although Adrian and the gypsy clan live in caravans in the forest, they have highly modern riffles (that prove to be no match for the villains).
In the end, even though not much attention is given to the accuracy of the representation of Romania as a whole, the episode does bring the country into focus for the world to see and, through its attractive depictions, is an example that can lead to a greater interest and curiosity from the part of foreigners for this land.
