Absorbing, immersive documentary Leaving To Remain follows three Roma and their families who have moved to England but still have roots in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. There is Ondrej Olah, who we first meet as a teaching assistant in a school. He had been placed in a special needs class in his homeland, but the film chronicles his determination to be more than that.

Ondrej holds down a job and studies for a psychology degree, as well as meeting his wife and marrying as the documentary progresses. Denisa Gannon is the first British Roma lawyer, seemingly permanently exhausted trying to aid the plight of migrants like herself, who have been knocked sideways by Brexit. Finally, there’s Petr Torak: an amazingly proactive worker within his community, bringing Roma and their sceptical new neighbours in England together via campaigning and charity work.

Brexit and COVID hit these migrant communities hard, but this nuanced, observational film – filmed on iPhones by the subjects themselves – shines a light on the often-vilified Roma which proves the right-wing rhetoric of the Daily Mail wrong. Families may struggle in the UK, but their plight in the Czech Republic seems even worse, with most Roma’s education stymied. They are placed in special needs schools, routinely attacked and not offered the same level of medical care or housing as their non-Roma neighbours, leading to their exodus from their homeland.

It’s an intimate glimpse at Roma as they deal with family separation, work and Christmases with COVID, and far removed from the perpetuated caricature. Petr is an MBE by the documentary’s end, integrating the culture of his local community through his work at local centres. Developed over five years by director Mira Erdevicki, Leaving To Remain illustrates what happens when inclusivity and opportunity are given to those who are denied it – with life-affirming results – but also displays an awareness of how the system and prejudice can form barriers to those striving to reach their full potential.

Dir: Mira Erdevicki (12A, 88 mins)

Out Fri 28 Apr

words KEIRON SELF