Stories of gypsy life

An ancient water‑mill perched on the Bistritza River serves as the beating heart of a remote Romanian village, its creaking wheels powering everything from grain grinding to furniture making. Its owner, Dimitru, is as tall and storied as the oak‑shaped millstones he proudly displays, and his workshop ripples with the clang of saws, looms and lathe‑driven craft. The surrounding hamlet orbits this hub, with the inn, church and school measured by their distance from the mill’s steady hum.

When winter settles, the village gathers inside the stone‑walled mill to exchange legends handed down through generations—tales of wolves, witches, and restless spirits that intervene when justice is denied. One such story tells of the stones themselves refusing to turn until a stolen sack of corn is returned, hinting at a world where the everyday and the uncanny intertwine. Listeners are drawn into a vivid portrait of gypsy life, where hard work, folklore and a deep reverence for the land shape a community’s identity.