Surveillance, prohibition, repressions and lack of rights are the focus of this film. The rule of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu was one of the most severe and repressive in Eastern Europe. Initially it seemed that the Khruschev Thaw affecting the majority of the Eastern Bloc would find no ground in Romania. Eventually, however, the regime started to crack. In December 1989, as the Romanian authorities tried to evict Hungarian Reformed Church pastor László Tőkés from the country, congregation members gathered around the church that gave refuge to Tőkés. The following day, the gathering turned into a protest against the ruling regime. The regime responded by bringing police and the army to the site, who then opened fire on the crowd. Mass protests continued in the following days. The attempt to control the masses failed, and Ceaușescu was forced to flee by helicopter from the roof of the Communist Party building. On 22 December, the army switched sides and joined the National Salvation Front. Ceaușescu was found guilty of "crimes against the nation" and executed on Christmas Day 1989.
The film will be introduced by history doctoral student Priit-Hendrik Kaldma.
Quod erat demonstrandum (The Escape)
Drama, 2014 (107 min)
Director: Andrei Gruzsniczki
Language: Romanian, with English subtitles
Quod Erat Demonstrandum is a 2013 Romanian drama directed by Andrei Gruzsniczki and starring Sorin Leoveanu and Ofelia Popii. It tells the story of two Romanian academics who are persecuted by Securitate, the secret police, in 1984. The title is a Latin phrase meaning "which had to be proven". The film is in black and white.
The film premiered at the Rome Film Festival, where it won the Jury Special Prize.
The event will be held in English.
The event is free of charge.
Event in Facebook.
Photo: Toma Laptes
The event is being supported by the Embassy of Romania in Estonia and Romanian Cultural Institute in Warsaw.
Register your attendance here
