Uppercase Print (2020) - full transcript

Your every waking hour
Is for our dear homeland,

To grow it like a flower,
Its greatness to expand.

Upright like an oak tree,
You work through days and nights.

Your workplace - our country
And its construction sites.

A peace-bringer on Earth,
One with our country's goals.

When we speak of Romania's worth,
Ceaușescu is in our souls!

Let's see.

There's no text.

- No text on the teleprompter.
- Hey, the text!

No text on the teleprompter!

UPPERCASE PRINT



UPPERCASE PRINT
- histories -

based on Gianina Cărbunariu's
homonymous documentary play

based on the Securitate (Secret police) files

"...the resonance I feel when
I happen to encounter these small lives"

"reduced to ashes in the few sentences
that struck them down." - Michel Foucault

"One cannot live it, only describe it.
About one percent." - Ion Stratan

Applause greets a new group:
the Pioneer Defence Brigade.

As representatives of the country's
3 million Pioneers,

they pledge to defend our battle flags
and revolutionary conquests.

The Party, Ceaușescu, Romania!

"THE FENCE" Case

On September 13 1981, at 10:00,

we were informed of an inscription on
the Party Headquarters fence in Botoșani:

"We want justice and freedom!"



As Securitate (Secret police) officer in charge,
I found the following:

the uppercase print letters
were drawn in blue chalk,

10-12 cm tall,
at a height of 1.60 m.

The guard
had tried to scratch them off,

but failed, due to the irregularities
of the surface.

As traffic there is intense by day,

the writing could only have been done
between 23:00 and 06:00 o'clock.

Two or more people
may have been involved,

with one writing, and
the others watching out

for the gatekeeper or passers-by.

Mr. Grindu from Bucharest complains

that some carpet hangers
are too close to the windows,

which is not exactly fun.

It's made worse by people
not complying with carpet-beating hours.

Since carpet beating
is such an earthly chore,

some have found
a more aerial alternative:

It bothers less
on top of the building.

The idea caught on,
so the tenants of this building

are now completely "ungrounded".

The building was designed
with carpet hangers on the roof.

Mr. Bălănescu,
who lives on the last floor -

I was passing by my workplace.

I saw this on the wall:

"In our friend-country Poland
the workers have gained freedom,"

"with free unions like
Solidarity and Rural Solidarity,"

"which represent their rights,
though they face food shortages too."

Another one ran:

"We are sick of waiting in huge queues."

"We cannot accept
the filth and injustice in our country!"

At 6:55, passing by the working site
of the Cultural Centre of the Syndicates,

I noticed on two fence panels

a subversive text about
solidarity with Polish trade unions.

I can't reproduce it, as it was long
and I did not pay attention.

Vegetable moussaka with poultry meat.

For 5 portions we need:

Chicken - 1 kg,

3-4 carrots,

one jar of peas,

one jar of green beans,

3-4 potatoes,

cheese - 50 g,

butter - 50 g,

one spoonful of bread crumbs,

a few sprigs of parsley,

salt and pepper,

and 250 g of roux.

I, the undersigned, plumber at
the Constructions and Machinery Plant,

hereby declare the following:

On September 14 1981,
when I started work at 07:10,

my subordinates told me
(I being a foreman)

something inadequate was written
on the fence.

Our team of 15 moved to the location.

I saw the uppercase print chalk writing:

"We can't take the injustice any longer."

Given the situation,
I considered we should remove it.

I had someone bring
water to wipe it off.

I only later realised
I should have notified the authorities.

Being through stability.

Being through work and creativity.

Being in unity.

This undying moment
comes to us from ages past.

It is our country's round dream.

It symbolises
a multi-millennial existence.

All over our country, ethnic Romanians,
Hungarians, Germans and others

pledge, through their deeds,
the manly confidence

that this is a land
of indestructible solidarity.

Today, date specified above,
in my quality as Securitate officer,

I spoke with the tenants of Cuza Street

about the inadequate inscriptions
written on the fence

of the Cultural Centre construction site,

flanked by the buildings
on numbers 9 and 11.

Legend:
Chalk writing -

"The Thinker" depicts
a man on a stool.

His back is bent,
chin in his hands,

his elbows rest on his knees.

The artist's skill is visible
both in the realistic details

and especially in the face expression.

Its discoverer called it "The Thinker"

by analogy to Rodin's famous sculpture.

Report: today around 9 o'clock,

the Securitate has been informed that,
on three 2x2 m fence panels

around the Cultural Centre
construction site in Botoșani,

three instigating, hostile inscriptions
have been written by perpetrators unknown.

The uppercase print text written
in white chalk read:

"Citizens", exclamation mark.

"We must say a firm NO to
the situation developing in our country."

"In our friend-country Poland
workers have gained true freedom,"

"with free unions,
Solidarity and Rural Solidarity,"

"which represent their rights,
though they share our food shortages."

Text no. 2:

"We want food.
We want our rights. We want freedom."

Text no. 3:

"We are sick of waiting in huge queues."

"We can no longer accept
the filth and injustice in our country!"

The panels have been removed
by our agents for forensic study.

Controls have been organised
in vulnerable locations

to prevent reoccurrence
of such inscriptions.

Our next product will be
a 160 L freezer.

- This one?
- Yes.

It will be 40 L bigger.

We will make larger two-door fridges

and reduce consumption
in our current models.

Dozens of fridges roll out -

In "The Fence" case,
since the writing has appeared,

about 30.000 writing samples
have been compared to the evidence.

Service I has instructed 30 informers.

Service II has instructed 32 informers.

The Surveillance Division - 12 informers.

The Anti-Terrorism Division -
5 informers.

A police composite sketch
has also been drawn.

You give us life.

You give our country its people,

You give Earth its mankind.

Woman lent her face to artists
so they may describe the homeland,

justice, revolution,
independence, freedom, peace.

Poets sing woman's beauty,
her warm soul,

her hard-working hands and
inquisitive mind,

her thirst for love,
her resilience to grief,

her confidence
in life, humanity, and love.

It is a chance of my being,

and the happiness within me
is stronger than my bones,

crushed in your ever-painful embrace.

The perpetrator graduated
middle school at least.

They may live near the site,
or very far from it.

The messages are persuasive,

their author is well-versed
in incendiary slogans,

short and convincing
through their call-to-action tone.

He or she is familiar
with social psychology,

since they chose subjects
of general interest.

Who could they be?

Someone with no
professional or family troubles,

and who, unsatisfied,
uses this method to spew venom.

Perhaps an obstinate pensioner
with political obsessions,

or a young show-off who thinks

it is their call to criticise
and oppose everything.

It could also be a group
of 2-3 people with no occupation,

who do it to kill time.

They may disturb the authorities
just to enjoy the unrest.

I exercise at least 20 minutes daily.

Sit-ups, pull-ups,
arm and leg exercises.

What are the benefits?

It relaxes me,
it maintains muscle tone,

and it removes the need
for tranquillisers.

How long since
you last took medicine?

- You couldn't say.
- I must add I don't drink coffee either.

Is this a hobby
or do you involve your family too?

Yes, particularly my 13-year old son.

I make him exercise.

I recommend it to everyone.

I notice many people
are sensitive to the winter cold.

10-15 minutes of exercise a day
would warm them up.

- And keep the doctor away, too!
- Definitely.

I, the undersigned, heating technician
at the Constructions and Machinery Plant,

declare that today,
arriving at work at 07:00,

the foreman told me to get a rag

and wipe off a text written
on the fence in uppercase print.

I don't think any of my workmates
could have written it.

Ensure the area is well-lit
and watched from a vehicle

by 2 Securitate officers in 2 shifts.

Conduct surveillance with 4 vehicles
with 12 agents in 4 shifts.

Check all mail written
in uppercase print.

Check all passport applications.

Use tracking dogs.

Watch all citizens
in the area and outskirts.

What do they hold most dear,
Romanians far and near?

Clean water, pure and sweet,
The endless fields of wheat;

A pleasure to behold,
With grains of purest gold.

O heart within my breast,
What lands do you love best?

Meadows with flowers and hay,
Where young ones dance in May,

With steps merry and bold,
Set to the songs of old,

As singers raise their voice
To make our hearts rejoice!

O heart within my breast,
What lands do you love best?

Service I has writing samples from
a list of expenses for September

of Tenants Associations No. 9,

whose uppercase print letters
seem identical to the ones

in the incriminating evidence
in "The Fence" case:

"Workers of the world, unite!"

and
"Dont pay hot water we dont get".

Another part of Bucharest
is being rapidly urbanised.

Here, the workers started the protests in 1913.

They were joining other labourers
in protest in 1933.

As tracking dog handler
with the Botoșani Police,

today, date specified above,
I took the K9 Orly to the site

with the inscriptions hostile
to the Party and national leadership.

As the dog followed the trail
to the Botoșani SUT headquarters,

we will investigate the unit personnel
on shift on the night of 7-8 October,

including the guard
of the militarised base.

Writing samples will be taken
from all employees

with at least 10 years of schooling.

We are living happy times,
Times of unity and smiles,

We are offspring of prowess,
Of great joy and gratefulness.

Study is our foremost duty,
Happily we learn its beauty,

Learning teaches us from birth
To be citizens of worth.

One day we will grow too,
And show what we can do,

We are friends forever,
Childhood, you are so beautiful!

With each passing season
We plant in our reason

Seeds of earnest effort
For we all belong to Romania!

On the evening of
October 15 1981, at 23:20,

a chalk inscription has been found on
the corner of Marchian Street:

"Freedom!"

At 23:40, it was photographed with a Leica
on NP 20 rollfilm, then wiped off.

Writing: uppercase print.

In canning season, this is a disaster.

Behold a 20th-century troubadour.

Let us go back in traffic.

And try to identify those
who ignore the "No Honking" sign.

October 15, 10 o'clock.

An incognito police officer
is posted here with a radio.

The film crew waits 200 m away.

We set out after the first perpetrator.

Why did you honk?

Someone stopped in front of me.

They stopped?

Yes, but it was my mistake.

Do you know the sanctions
for using your car horn?

There's a new decree,
but it's the first time I ever honked.

I think it's Decree 153 against noise.

Bad luck!

This offender has even worse luck.

- I didn't honk, Comrade officer!
- Yes you did.

Really, I didn't.

How much bad luck can one person have?

Remember now?

Yes, a trolley bus
tried to make a left.

I honked to warn him.

Trying to justify his noise-making
with much gesturing,

this man here - yes, he is a male -

is unaware of the consequences.

Do you know the sanction for honking?

A fine?

Here is another excuse,
which goes beyond a mere offence:

Why did you honk?

Because my brakes are weak.

On October 16 1981, at 06:30,

5 more inscriptions were found:

near the corner of
Horia and Marchian Streets,

the uppercase print text
in white chalk: "Freedom!"

20 m from the first,

"We want freedom!"
was written on the kerb

in white chalk and
uppercase print letters.

I hope my hand will recover
and I will go back to my job.

It's not exactly pleasant
to remember those moments,

- It happened like...
- Lightning?

Yes, the machine worked at great speed.

- What machine?
- A lathe.

It all happened so fast...

- You didn't pay attention?
- I was measuring an electrode.

It happened so fast
I didn't even realise it.

How did you even think
to pick up your hand?

- I don't know.
- Wasn't it painful, horrifying?

I just saw my hand fallen.

A citizen appeared,
wearing a tracksuit.

He stopped by the first panel
of the fence around the construction site

and looked down both streets.

A car appeared on Marchian street.

Seeing it, the citizen
advanced for 10 m,

until the car passed him.

Then he took one step
towards the fence.

He produced a piece of chalk
and started to write.

I radioed:
"There is writing at my location"

and set out to apprehend the suspect.

I left the building
with Comrade Lieutenant.

The suspect threw away the chalk
and tried to run.

We proceeded to detain him
and escort him to the Securitate.

On the fence we saw,
in chalk and uppercase letters,

"We want justice and freedom!"

Surveillance file
on "THE PUPIL" (conspiratorial alias)

I, the undersigned, Călinescu I. Mugur,
born in Botoșani on May 28 1965,

residing at 62 Marchian Street,
hereby declare:

I attended Eminescu Highschool.

In 1981 I sat the exam for
August Treboniu Laurian Highschool,

where I now study.

My father, Călinescu Mihai, 46,
is a tailor at the Botoșani Factory.

He divorced my mother in 1974
and has remarried.

My mother, Uncescu Rodica, 45,
is a saleswoman

at the Children Clothing department
of the Botoșani General Store.

04:50.
The mother called her sister.

She cried throughout the call.

I don't know where to go.

- Where did he like to go?
- He didn't go anywhere.

He had just taken a bath,
and he's sick too.

Where should I look for him?

Can't your husband come with me
to the Police, to ask?

If he was there,
wouldn't the Police have called?

I mean, he's a local boy.

Where is he, then?

What if some hooligans beat him up?

Calm down, dear.

- Didn't he visit anyone in your building?
- No.

I'm sending my husband over.

Still, where should we look for him?

Maybe outside, I don't know.

He left without his hat
and it was time for his medicine.

The objective's mother says
a fortune teller foresaw bad news.

She continues to cry.

She adds that she fears
the objective went out for air

and was beaten up by hooligans.

The uppercase T is remarkable
by the hook on its upper stroke

and the way it touches the bar.

In the uppercase R, we notice
the doubled stroke,

the oval upper part

and the linear final stroke.

The uppercase L is defined
by its hook-like vertical stroke

and by its continuous,
slightly concave lower stroke.

In the uppercase Z, we notice
the shorter upper bar

and the presence of the middle bar.

Conclusion: the texts
were written by Călinescu I. Mugur.

Given the above, we propose
to process Călinescu Mugur

in surveillance file "The Pupil".

For a more detailed surveillance,

we request permission to install
listening devices in his home.

Access will be secured
under the pretext of a police search,

with his mother's agreement
and in her presence.

Meanwhile, her son
remains at our headquarters.

In the 5-7 minutes his mother
watches the search of his room,

we will install listening devices
for phone and face-to-face conversations.

- Did you marry for love?
- No.

Then my next question is pointless.

To you, what is the role
of feelings in this?

I won't even call it marriage.

Feelings may not develop at first sight.

She and her parents
wanted this marriage badly.

- And you, being weak, gave in.
- Yes!

I had a house, a car,
they wanted all that,

so I figured - why not?

Love is earned.
But she didn't even try.

Things only got worse between us.

The two were only
married for 4 months,

but the divorce formalities
last almost four years.

The only thing keeping them together

is the considerable sum
gathered from wedding gifts.

- The objective is brought home.
- The mother cries.

The objective tells her to be quiet
or everyone will hear.

They move too far
from the microphone to hear.

We do make out the objective
saying "that's enough".

The mother and
the objective watch TV.

Their visiting relatives
ask the objective

if someone pushed him
to do what he did.

The objective replies
he just heard it on Radio Free Europe.

Seeing an explosion on TV,

the woman asks him
about the recent bombing event.

He says there were two bombs in Pitești,

at the Party Headquarters
and at a store with political books,

and the authors have not been found.

When the woman wonders
how they could do it,

the objective says it was
just a small bomb,

not enough to kill people,
something any chemist could build.

He adds the President
has stopped his visits abroad for fear,

after his visit to Austria.

The objective's mother
is summoned to the Securitate.

Upon her return,
the following conversation ensues:

You must go to the Securitate tomorrow.

- What for?
- To tell who influenced you.

They don't believe
you did it on your own.

Of course I did.

- Show me where they hit you.
- They didn't.

Tell them you did it
because I kept coming home crying.

- You told them that?
- I said it was because of my work.

And that twice I told you off
for listening to Free Europe.

And I threatened to throw away your radio.

And you went out late
because of your illness.

And?

They asked if
you are aware of your situation.

Of course I'm aware.

I promised we'll have
a serious talk with you.

They were very disappointed
with the whole thing.

I promised it wouldn't happen again.

Why should you promise?

I could do it without you knowing.

Only if you want to kill me.

I'm just saying,
why do you have to promise?

Think about it!
If I wanted to -

Only if you want to kill me.

- You don't understand.
- Yes I do.

If I wanted to, I could.
Tomorrow, or next week...

But what's the point now?

There was no point to begin with.

As if all my troubles weren't enough.

I see tanks and rockets too,
Armies squeezed shoulder to shoulder.

Did the bayonets prick you?

I can't hold it, take it over!

I have it on my cervical region,
I can't see what happens where,

But I feel a little dizzy.
Heracles, what's happening?

Drugs are entering a port
On a ship, a heavy-loader.

No wonder I'm falling short.
I can't hold it, take it over!

This was once a peaceful place,
Earth was lighter in days gone,

Now it's burning my poor face -
Look and see, what's going on?

Uniformed men, thick as pests,
Armed to the teeth, and moreover -

Sounds like uninvited guests.
I can't hold it, take it over!

When I lost that Hitler boulder
I thought he was gone for good,

But those swastikas on my shoulders
Are still right there where they stood.

They're so itchy, they're so prickly,
Those signs like an evil clover.

If they're not out of there quickly,
I'll drop the Earth and it's all over!

Some squeeze riches from the Earth
Like some greedy birds of prey,

While the poor that they command
Are getting thinner every day.

For the fat, life's a merry ball...

While for the famished it's a war.

See, the globe's about to fall,
Losing balance more and more!

Here it burns; decay, deceit,
Bankers squeeze our last breath.

Terrorists roaming the streets!

I, Uncescu Rodica, declare the following
regarding the Securitate inquiries:

In 1981, by the doctor's recommendation,

my son Călinescu Mugur
started to take walks before bedtime.

His walks usually took half an hour.

He has allergic asthmatic bronchitis.

During the inadequate events,
he was under treatment.

Are there any gaps
in your middle-school education?

I think so.

What subjects were most affected?

Math and Physics.

What was your average
in Math and Physics?

Six.

- You, Sir?
- Also six.

I, the undersigned Călinescu Mihai,
declare the following:

My son Călinescu Mugur,
from my first marriage,

remained in the care of my ex-wife
after our divorce.

We can adequately grow vegetables,
fruit trees, grape vines.

Less fertile areas can be used
for growing poultry.

Chicken are easy to care for.

A little grain, water and shelter
will cover a family's meat consumption.

Ten chicken produce enough eggs
for a 3-4 person household.

Raising poultry is
an ancient custom in our country.

No space adequate for this
should be left unused.

Poultry rewards us
for our time and effort.

But we can do more
in our courtyards.

Pig farming is just as useful.

I, the undersigned Călinescu I. Mugur,
declare the following:

The people in town
most close to me morally

are my friends and some schoolmates.

Cornel Grigorciuc has been
my classmate since first grade.

We have grown close,
despite our different personalities.

Cornel is calm, intelligent,
diligent in school.

I feel lonely if
we haven't spoken all day.

I, the undersigned Grigorciuc Cornel,
declare the following:

Călinescu Mugur and I have been
friends since first grade

and visit each other often.

Another friend and schoolmate
is Dan Andriescu.

We live in the same apartment block,
so we visit each other daily.

We have similar interests:
studying together for the next day,

listening to music,
trading tapes and taking walks.

I, the undersigned Andriescu Dan,
declare the following:

My friends are Vaisser Emanuel,
Grigorciuc Cornel

Athanasiu Mihail Paul,
and Călinescu Mugur.

We visit each other often.

I became friends with Călinescu Mugur
in the 11th grade.

He is a quiet boy,
with no major hobbies.

He stays at home, reading,
writing, listening to music,

helping his mother with chores.

I sometimes visit him,
we solve Math problems

and listen to music when we have time.

I have left my mother last
because I respect her the most.

She takes too good care of me.

She's always worked
at the Botoșani General Store,

being the pillar of our family.

After the divorce, she kept working
so I could have all I needed.

She has managed to make up
for my father's absence,

who used to come home inebriated
and start fights.

She looked after me and everything else.

She is closest to me
and I will always respect her most.

As a mother, I've tried hard
to provide my child with everything

so he could have
adequate studying conditions.

In appreciation of his
graduating to senior high school,

his mother and I bought him
a radio cassette player.

The future of a nation
is its youth and children.

Youth is the guarantee
of the nation's tomorrow.

Their deeds today determine
the quality of their future.

Youthful actions, be they
material, social, or spiritual,

show their awareness
as political citizens.

They live in the generous space
of existence for their collective,

convinced that harmonising
their destiny with that of their people

involves tenaciously developing
their aptitudes.

It is a promise for the future,
but also a guarantee for the present.

Organically incorporated in
collective life in factories,

agriculture or research,

studying in schools and universities,

consolidating their knowledge
in laboratories and practical classes

or training in the military,

to fearlessly protect
our country and its greatness,

our youth continues to rise
to the expectations of our nation.

Indeed, we have wonderful young citizens,

as so many of their deeds prove.

They continue,
in their new, improved environment,

the patriotic, revolutionary
traditions of their forebears.

The Fatherland is their supreme ideal.

They are proud
to serve their country and the Party.

The ideas and feelings
in what I wrote

resulted from me listening
to Radio Free Europe,

and adopting their view of the political,
social and economical reality in Romania.

Some, like the lack of food
and the queues,

I verified against
what I saw around me.

Others, like the so-called
lack of rights and freedoms,

the need for free unions,
like in Poland,

the dire state of the economy,
the authorities hiding the truth,

and the establishment of
an independent trade union,

I took to be true,
being unable to verify them,

because I trusted this radio channel.

Of their broadcasts,
I listened mostly to music,

"News from Romania"
and "Letters from Home".

My mother caught me
listening twice.

On which occasion I firmly told him
"Stop this nonsense!"

Since the boy said nothing,
I thought he abandoned such pursuits.

I have more recommendations.

Make sure no one
dries their laundry on the radiators.

This reduces efficiency
and people complain it's not warm enough.

Avoid opening kitchen windows at night!

Radiators have frozen before.

We have to understand
these measures are not privations.

They reinforce
our thrifty, sensible attitude.

The small savings here
contribute to the national economy.

One day, in our first year of highschool,

Călinescu Mugur told me
he listened to Radio Free Europe,

namely the news,
but I can't say what exactly.

This summer,
he told me about the events in Poland.

where striking workers
have formed a trade union - "Solidarity".

He didn't tell me where he heard it,
but I assume it was Free Europe.

He never listened to it
in my presence.

I think Grigorciuc Cornel
only made one comment.

He said Free Europe
was right about the food shortages.

I, the undersigned Vaisser Emanuel,
declare the following:

Mugur Călinescu likes
listening to music.

In early September, I visited him
with Andriescu Dan and listened to music.

Călinescu Mugur never told me
he listened to Radio Free Europe.

A few times, looking for music,
I accidentally tuned into Free Europe,

but I only listened to music.

Mighty Lord, what troubles you?

O my blood brother,

It is the Lady who troubles me.

My Lord, be not concerned.

The Lady is a woman,

and thus of changing heart.

Think, rather, of the country!

True words you utter!

What, then, of the boyars
Who betrayed our land?

The Assembly starts,
Have them punished!

All 3, Sbierea included!

Father of our land, do justice!

My troubles at work
reached my son, as I mentioned to him

that I was unjustly treated
because of some inventory issues.

I've never analysed them with my son,

as I want to keep the child
away from my problems.

I noticed on my own,
because she cried often.

My mother has always been honest
and her colleagues admire her.

I think very highly of her,
despite what happened.

Moving to this small town wasn't easy.

I wasn't enthusiastic.

I was coming from
a big clinic in Bucharest,

and here they didn't even
have a maternity.

But I stayed.

Any town has
ill people or expectant mothers.

They all need our help.

I understood that
as soon as I came here.

One particular event
helped me see it that way.

Here I met my husband,
who is also a doctor.

On Sunday, around 9:30,
my former brother-in-law

informed me
my son had been arrested

on the night of 17/18 October 1981.

I continued my shift,

and around 10:30 I was
called to the gate by my son.

We talked for about 3 minutes -
I asked him what had happened.

He said
that he wrote something

and that it would get sorted out.

Around 13:00,
I went to my ex-wife's apartment

and found her there with our son.

I tried to make them
more aware of the situation,

so I used a louder tone of voice.

I wanted to learn who told him to do it.
"Who told you to do it?"

On these streets,
we often see our ARO vehicles.

This is not mere chance:

ARO - in fact, PORTARO -

the fruit of
Romanian-Portuguese collaboration,

is an active presence in Portugal.

Frequent reports in magazines and on TV

illustrate the vehicle's
stellar performance

on the bumpy roads
of the country by the Atlantic.

Such pictures speak for themselves.

I am suddenly reminded of Mircea Eliade,

who has a character visit
places around Lisbon,

where "everything is like a fairy tale,"

"the wooded hills,
the eucalypti, the cork oaks,"

"the lights, the country houses."

At 13:55, the objective returns home.

He asks his mother why
she was kept so long at the Securitate.

The following conversation ensues:

I won't tell you anything
if you keep reacting like this.

You'll just cry again.

Doing housework
takes your mind off it.

Nothing happened.
I don't want to see you like this.

- Come here, dear.
- Why are you crying?

I have reasons to.

They are following me.
They always will.

They asked:
"What did you do before 5?"

I said I went to see my mother,
then visited a classmate.

He asked:
"Why did you go to the hospital?"

- Did you promise to never -
- Yes!

They said you'd sign
the statement too, like an oath.

- And then?
- I couldn't exactly say I'd do it again.

You should have said
you were stupid.

Stupid, right!

I wasn't stupid at all.

How do we travel?

How do we have fun?

What luggage of civil decency

do we carry among
our peers, familiar or not?

Why do so many of us

choose to behave
in such a ridiculous manner?

I can't say why I chose this outlet

for my inadequate
social and political views.

Maybe it was just easier.

Chalk was easy to get.

One day I borrowed some
from Dan Andriescu,

without telling him what for.

I, the undersigned Andriescu Dan,
add the following:

This year, I lent him
some chalk, a necktie and some money.

He asked me for chalk 3 times,
and this made me curious.

He kept avoiding to tell me,
though I insisted.

Back to school, in September,

he showed me a chalk inscription
on Karl Marx St.

I didn't ask about it
and he didn't tell me.

Later, Călinescu Mugur told me
he could prove he had written it.

He told me to come to his place
around 23:00,

in a tracksuit, so he could tell
his mother we were jogging.

I usually left home
around 22:30, wearing dark clothes,

and chose dark places.

I refused, since my parents
wouldn't let me go out late.

One day, on my way to school
with Cornel Grigorciuc,

I told him I wrote the inscription
we were passing by.

I didn't believe it,

so Călinescu Mugur
said his mother knew about it too.

I told her I wrote them.

Worried, she said to never do
such dangerous things again.

About 3 weeks ago,
I learned from rumours

that inadequate inscriptions
had appeared around town.

I told my son what I had heard.

I do not remember him replying
that he had written them.

I was not paying attention at the moment.

Today, at 15:00,
Călinescu Mugur visited me.

He brought me some study materials
from an older student.

He said that, if the Securitate asks me,
I should tell the exact truth.

National and racial discrimination,
moral decay,

the violence and terrorism
endangering human lives

are assaults on human rights.

Mankind sees,
with growing concern,

a resurgence of Fascism and Neo-fascism,

whose countless followers
in West Germany, England, Italy

are being manipulated
by most reactionary interests

to instate the reign of terror,

as a last-ditch attempt to save
Capitalist society from growing unrest.

I declare on faith, in all honesty,

that my reasons
were those stated above.

No one inspired me
and I did not do it for someone else.

I thought, since Free Europe
claimed the truth is hidden,

I could bring it to light this way.

Though I didn't prepare beforehand,

I thought
what I wrote was necessary.

Maybe not effective,
but still timely.

Sometimes I felt afraid while writing.
Not always.

I worked fast,
so I wouldn't get caught.

While I wrote,
I had to look left and right.

I never returned on purpose
to see the results,

but I did feel satisfied after writing.

Only once, when I wrote
the texts about Poland,

did I see some comrade officers
removing the panels.

If the Securitate hadn't caught me,

I don't know if
I would have kept writing.

I wanted to let
the population know the truth.

The truth as I understood it then.

I realise my opinion
about my country is not good.

It is very backward,
even among Socialist countries,

and the democratic rights
are not respected.

I believe people should know.

So I decided to let them know
in any way I can.

That is how I came up
with the idea of the inscriptions.

I did it to awaken people's conscience,

so that they would take action, rebel,

demand their freedoms.

Little girls are delicate,
All they wish for is dolls,

And when they grow up
They dream to become

Just like their dear mummy
Whom they adore!

Like her, they will say
"Children, I love you!"

Gather 'round, let's play lots,
Playing is made for tiny tots.

Grown-ups too, come if you can,
Turn back time and be children again!

Gather 'round, let's play lots,
Playing is made for tiny tots.

Grown-ups too, come if you can,
Turn back time and be children again!

Little boys always run around,
Bouncing balls and flying kites,

They dream to become fearless soldiers -

11:43.
Visit from Mihai, the objective's father.

First, he scolds the objective
for his poor grades.

He moves on to the objective's
inadequate inscriptions.

Who else did you tell?

Cornel, but he didn't even believe me.

You asked him to join you
and he said no!

I only told him I wrote that
and he didn't believe me.

So I said he could come
see me write at night.

He said he had better things to do.

I didn't tell him to write.

How did you get the idea?

Maybe a teacher told you something.

As a joke, or out of stupidity.

Did you want to
bring down the Government?

How could I
bring down the Government?

You asked for help
from the unions and Free Europe.

What?
I didn't ask for any help.

- Do you listen to Free Europe?
- Not since summer.

I couldn't anyway,
the radio is broken.

You're only making it worse
if there was someone else -

There was no one else!

You talk like you're
one of the Securitate!

Mugur!

They'll follow you
even 10 years from now.

You'll always have this around your neck.

I've read my file,
but I have nothing to hide.

Besides, if what I wrote
has no effect,

why are they so afraid
I might have done it elsewhere?

- They're not afraid.
- Then why do they keep asking that?

You know why.

One smartass like you
can bring those spies.

Espionage is a real issue.

Your friends from Free Europe will come,

because you asked them for help.

What help?

What help?

You have no clue.

You did write about the unions.

But that has nothing to do
with asking Free Europe for help.

I only asked for free trade unions.

Where do you see
free unions here?

Exactly,
that's why I asked for them.

- Is that what you want?
- There's no point now.

I don't care anymore about it.

Why do you talk
about stuff you don't even know?

Isn't asking for unions
like asking for help?

- Who did you want help for?
- For the people in Romania.

Help from Free Europe!
You don't even know what I wrote.

If I wanted help,
I'd have sent them a letter.

But this is help too.

You thought "I'll do something
so they make me manager of Free Europe!"

Free Europe is in West Germany.

You think I'm
as naive as your mummy?

They hear every word said in this house.

They know how
you talk back to your mother.

I know they know, because sometimes...

But I don't act like that every day.
I don't care what you told them.

What I told them?
They told me, you idiot!

They told each of us different things.

Mugur, my boy.

I came to talk
because I knew your mum was out.

- I'm telling you, your mistakes -
- It's not true!

All that about help
and wanting to be a manager...

- That's what you asked for!
- Stop it!

If that's what you heard...

Asking for free unions
isn't asking for help?

Free Europe people can't read what I write.

- Then who were you writing it for?
- People on the street.

I've even stopped listening
to Free Europe since summer.

But Free Europe gets info
from crooks around here.

How could they know what I wrote?

They have crooks here.
Maybe even working with you.

You know what, I'm done!

Believe whatever you want.

I don't even want to talk about it.

I wanted to have a calm word with you,

and you give me that?

Keep believing whatever you want.

I don't care what anyone thinks anymore.

From now on,
I'm done with all that.

But you're still being called for statements!

You won't be done soon.
Not for as long as you live.

How long?
One-two weeks, until it gets sorted out.

- I don't think so.
- Whatever!

I can't make you change your mind.

Mugur, listen!

I come talk to you nicely
and you mock me?

You're so stubborn.

If you can't talk to your parent,

maybe we should let the law decide.

Let them enforce the law, then!

I don't believe
you did it on your own.

But go ahead,
let the law decide.

Did you really think you could
be more successful there?

At first, yes.
There I saw it wasn't true.

I could tell right away.

You thought it was the Promised Land, but...

I ended up in Austria,
in the Traiskirchen camp.

I ran away.
Camp conditions were unbearable.

- You ran away!
- Indeed.

I escaped and left Austria for good.

- Where did you go next?
- To Germany.

- Crossing illegally.
- Risking my life again.

I almost drowned in a river,
I'm not a good swimmer.

About that camp...

Since you ran away,
you must have some terrible stories.

I was quarantined.

I quickly saw the truth.
For others, it takes months.

I couldn't live there, with
immigrants from all nations,

in that climate of violence and terror,

with crimes of every kind.

What did you expect
and what did you find?

We expected an open-arms welcome.

We thought the West was waiting for us.
But the West doesn't need us.

No country needs foreigners!

I could describe the situation in Germany,

where many foreigners,
or Ausländer, do the lowest jobs.

They've brought others,
friends and family.

Germany has become a...

A country crowded with foreigners.

The Germans don't like it.

- Even less so now.
- Why?

Because they don't have
enough jobs.

Foreigners are competition.
Minor competition, but still...

Is that because foreigners
accept lower pay?

In Germany, even if they earn little
- very little -

foreigners sleep and eat there,
and locals don't like that.

Being notified by the Securitate
about my son's serious deed,

I undertake to work with my ex-wife
to change his mindset

and prevent him from ever
committing such deeds.

Although I tried to hide
my work problems from him,

they may have influenced him,

given his sensitive nature
and his loneliness.

Allow me to pledge myself

to better educating my son
and correcting his views,

so such deeds
may not be repeated.

I ask the Securitate to be
compassionate in its verdict,

particularly given his tender age.

I am determined to put behind me
these serious deeds

and try to prove
that this unfortunate situation

will never be repeated.

A Man of great humanity!

Our country's foremost Son!

He carries forth our name

Beyond the setting sun!

The whole town is talking.

An old teacher
just asked me if it's true.

You should have said it's not.

- I said I wouldn't discuss it.
- That's admitting to it.

People talk.
You can't stop them.

So what?
People always blabber.

It is my personal opinion,
after surveillance of the objective,

that he does not seem too affected.

He speaks as if
he was not the one involved.

He is arrogant with his mother,
suggesting he does not need advice.

Writing is the main problem.

Pupils do aptly well
in oral examinations,

but much worse in writing:

a weak mastery
of the norms of expression,

of orthography and punctuation.

Other aspects are logical phrasing,
not to mention expressiveness

and the difficulty
in absorbing literary texts.

Could you name some
problem schools?

Yes, and this is worth mentioning.

Some schools prepare good pupils,

while others give deficient students.

The deciding factor
is probably the teacher.

Tziganești and Poroschia schools

have sent unprepared pupils
to our highschool.

While schools like
the one in Trivalea-Moșteni

have sent us excellent students.

Report drawn up today,
November 27 1981,

at August Treboniu Laurian Highschool.

Persons invited:
the Inspector General of Schools,

the School Principal and Deputy

the secretaries of the local
Communist Party and Youth branches,

of the local Party Committee
and Union of Communist Youth,

the Highschool Syndicate president,
teachers, students.

From the Securitate, the Section I Chief
and a first lieutenant.

Subject:

Debating the situation
of Călinescu Mugur,

perpetrator of hostile inscriptions.

The discussion was secretly recorded.

The Inspector General shows that:

Under the influence of Radio Free Europe
and of family mentalities,

pupil Călinescu Mugur,
in flagrant breach of the law,

has perpetrated several inscriptions
of deeply hostile content.

This is incompatible with a pupil
born and raised in Socialism.

Next, the invited teachers.

Such despicable deeds cannot be
mitigated by family circumstances,

as his mother suggests.

This lack of moral and civic education
is worrying.

Teachers' mission is to educate.

For this serious deed,
I firstly blame the pupil's mother.

This is an infamous attack
against Romania,

he sided with our enemies.

It's not a childish mistake:
he plotted against the people.

I request harsh disciplinary action
from the Highschool Council.

This brings shame on the local
Union of Communist Youth.

It shows that the UCY
fails to instil in pupils

patriotism, knowledge of
social and political realities

The Medal for Labour Valour:

the Iron Gate power plant in Mehedinți,

the Cavnic mine, Maramureș county,

the Bărbăteni mine, Hunedoara,

the Cartojani extraction plant in Giurgiu,

the Aluminium Processing Plant in Olt,

the Ciocanul plant in Timiș,

the Mârșa mechanic plant in Sibiu,

the Grivița Roșie
chemical plant in Bucharest,

the Găești refrigerator factory
in Dâmbovița,

the Electrical Equipment Plant
in Bucharest,

the Dudești chemical plant in Bucharest,

the Victoria-Florești tire factory
in Prahova,

the Chemical Equipment and Parts
Factory in Bucharest,

the Târgu Mureș timber processing unit
in Mureș,

the Fieni asbestos-cement
plant in Dâmbovița,

the Heliade furniture factory in Bucharest,

the Pașcani curtains factory in Iași,

the Domestic-use Porcelain
Factory in Argeș,

the Bread and
Pasta Factory in Teleorman,

the Meat Canning and Processing
Plant in Bucharest.

Measures must be taken
for the educational personnel.

The facts appal me beyond reason.

How does this pupil see reality?

How could he be swayed by Free Europe,
traitors to Romania?

I believe the local UCY
has not contributed enough

to its educative, patriotic activities.

I know the pupil very little,

as Călinescu Mugur has only
joined our collective in September.

I condemn his deeds and undertake
to prevent their reoccurrence.

Why did you not come to me,
your tutor,

for guidance on your actions?

In my two years as his former teacher

I have known Călinescu as
a mediocre, but well-behaved student.

I want to ask the pupil:

How did you feel
after writing those texts?

Answer!

How did you feel?

Relieved.

I am deeply outraged.

I ask that the pupil be
punished according to regulations

and processed by the local authorities.

This lack of moral and civic education
is worrying,

also for teachers,
whose mission is to educate.

A despicable attack
against Romanians!

Against their interests!

Who else knew?

Siding with traitors!

I cannot see this as a childish mistake:
He plotted to attack the people.

This brings shame on the local UCY.

It shows that the UCY
fails to instil in pupils patriotism,

knowledge of
social and political realities

and our Party's care for the people.

A warning call
to all educational personnel.

This is no mere slip-up.
Comrades, he has struck at the people!

Let him be harshly punished!

A whole jungle lives on these pictures
of heartbreaking candour.

Someone is roaring,
it might be the hunter.

Too expensive for a single fake lion!

Who can resist such an invitation?

But what lies behind this?

Look and see!

Just another day at the circus,

but who is paying
for this merry-go-round?

As for power saving, some take...

a crooked view of it.

Which brings us to Colentina Park.

The millions of flowers here

have been destroyed by a so-called
"entertainment pavilion".

What is so entertaining about
this lame centipede

or these tired horses?

Not really worth a kingdom.

Now, let us stay balanced

among these wobbly contraptions:

It's not all their fault.

They find some energy
to entertain us,

but we don't always take
good care of our things.

You heard it from the horse's mouth.

We hope those who issue
permits for such fairs

will be more strict.

We will be back!

Sweetness and optimism reign
at kindergarten festivities

in the great Bucharest neighbourhoods.

The country's youngest offspring

have thanked Comrades
Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu

for the excellent conditions
in which Socialist children

prepare for working life.

Father Frost, welcome among us,

Father Frost, again you come to our door

With new toys and joys galore!

Father Frost!

I come with presents, girls and boys,

My sack is filled with toys,

For good children I bring happiness,

But I abhor laziness!

We pledge to Comrade Ceaușescu
that we will work ever harder.

Our actions will reflect our oath.

We send good wishes
and the traditional "Happy New Year!"

to Comrades Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu.

Live long and prosper!

The festivities were attended by
the armed forces of the working class,

members of the military,
of the Youth Brigade

and other civil defence bodies.

Sector 2 of Bucharest has celebrated

the new training year
for the Patriotic Guards

by pledging to reach the Country's
socio-economic objectives

and strengthen national sovereignty,

as exposed by Comrade Nicolae Ceaușescu

in November last year,

and his Directive
on Patriotic Guards Training.

In vibrant revolutionary spirit,

the combatants,
wearing our national emblem,

have sworn to spare no effort
in this Five-Year Plan,

dedicated to Quality and Efficiency,
for better results

in the multilateral,
economic and defensive growth

of our beloved country.

All units march to the beat of the
Patriotic Guards Anthem.

"Socrates".

"How beautiful you are today,
Sister hemlock,"

"Growing so naturally at my window!"

"In your waist's undulation,"

"All curative herbs
Triumph wildly."

"Besides, you are increasingly
Cultivated."

1st of March trinkets
come in all shapes:

suitcases,

cake,

lottery tickets,

frames for glasses,

filter cigarettes.

Not exactly good luck charms!

At least they make us notice
the new books,

pastries with fruit and vegetables,

a smashing premiere,

or the permanence
of our beloved Cico drink.

We have works of literary criticism,

de Sanctis and Bakhtin,

as well as the successful
prose in the Globus collection,

or Augusto Roa Bastos' "I, the Supreme",

in the 20th Century Novel collection.

It is yet another book
on Latin American dictators, after Carpentier's...

Pupil Călinescu is completely changed!

His grades and behaviour
have greatly improved.

Pupil Călinescu has
very good results in 11th grade.

Before, he barely obtained passing grades,

now he mostly scores at 70 to 90 percent!

Pupil Călinescu has been
involved in Communist Youth activities,

and has written two papers
on political education!

Pupil Călinescu has also
participated in artistic activities,

is highly diligent,

and wants to study Economics!

He is under permanent control
from his mother,

to whom he justifies
every absence from home.

Pupil Călinescu
has dropped his hostile attitude.

Pupil Călinescu regrets his deeds

and vows to never break the law again.

Let our enemies be slain,
Swept away like chaff from grain,

Let the only bounds we bear
Be those of brotherhood fair!

Come and join the dance, my brother,
Let's be true to one another,

Be as one while we draw breath,
And be joined in glorious death!

None can stand alone and fight
Against sorrow's dreadful night,

But together we can grow
Stronger than the enemy's blow!

For we are the same from birth,
Same in origin and worth,

Like two trees from the same root,
Like two notes from the same flute!

We are joined by name and fate,
We are destined to be great,

As brothers to one another,
As two sons of the same mother!

The stone itself has grown contrary,
Embittered, tarnished like pewter;

In howling winds, reduced to stupor,
A water well of dire fate.

A water well of dire fate
And history is its harsh tutor:

Here lies the severed head of Tudor,
Thrown by an evil janissary.

Thrown by an evil janissary,
It turned its waters into blood -

Our new cosmetic ranges:

Cordial, for men,

and Riposta, for women.

We offer them "cordially",
in hopes of a positive "riposte".

Our wonderful youth
is multilaterally developed,

present in all fields,
on all construction sites,

alongside the working class.

For he leads our ascent

Towards grandiose goals,

Our Beloved President,

Romania's brave standard bearer!

We swear by our beloved Leader,

because he is one of us

and loves even us,
ethnic Hungarians in Romania,

as he loves all Romanian citizens,

regardless of their mother tongue.

Without testimonies
and documents,

one could hardly believe

that their grandparents
used to live in dugouts,

quite literally starving and naked.

They have joined their destinies,

to give the country
an endless line of offspring,

in the spirit illustrated
by an amateur artist at the Maternity:

that of Romanian eternity.

We met the couple before and after
they have become a family.

Their first walk as spouses,
with their dear ones,

were taken on the new Freedom Street,

where their children will soon live.

What music will they dance to,
What will they have fun to,

After this modern rock
Gave them quite a shock?

Something homegrown,
Something sweet and strong,

The new folk songs!

The new hop-la-la!

Today (an image)

A lot of people attended
my son's funeral in 1985.

Apparently there were
many plain-clothes Securitate agents.

People gossiped the Securitate
had killed him with radiation.

I heard people saying things like:

"Did he think
he'd bring down the regime?"

"Look where that got him!"

But no one said
what they really thought.

That Mugur had been a hero.

He didn't know why
he still had to go to the Securitate.

They gave him coffee each time.

At 17, he didn't drink coffee.

His health was worse,
his face had paled.

I asked what they did to him.

"I can't tell you, Mum."

He always got annoyed when I asked.

I wish I'd told him
not to touch the coffee.

I swear there was
no such thing as radiation!

If you know of such methods,
I don't, word of honour!

Fantasies!

Why did you come to the funeral?

Why did you have to come?

Madam, let's talk calmly.

These were the facts
as I am able to disclose them.

Have a seat.

Frankly, we had developed
some attachment to the boy.

We were experimenting
with human closeness.

- He came to my house.
- His dad was my neighbour.

My wife tutored him.

I saw him the night they caught him.

"What's up, Mugur?"
"Hello, Sir, I made a mistake."

"Come to my office, son."

I gave him coffee
because it was late.

You could say I was
the perpetrator's friend.

I was also very close to his mother.

His father lived
in my building.

I was at the 4th floor, he was a the 6th.

We even shared the basement storage.

But he never asked:

"What do you know
of my little boy?"

Very, very strange.

The story had moved me,
I could've given him information,

but he never asked.

For 15 years of my career
I followed the Socialist law,

and for the next 15 -
the democratic law.

I don't know which one was better,
but I can compare.

We didn't mistreat young people.

I never touched them,
never sent them to trial.

We never used the word "surveillance".

The big bosses got angry
if they heard that.

We called it "youth protection".

It wasn't surveillance,
only information.

If we wanted
a child to become our collaborator,

we had these steps.

First, you needed approval.

- Everything needed approval!
- Then, the research.

You selected 2 or 3
who had the skills...

Then you asked his close ones.

What is he like?
Is he into detective stories, adventure?

Any hobbies, any vices?
A complex study.

Then you approached him
with a mundane subject.

You asked a question,
saw his reaction,

then you said:

"You're a smart boy."

"This is my job,
this is what I want to know."

"Could you help?"

And the pupil would answer:

"But I dream to become
an intelligence officer!"

"Could you bring me
some study materials?"

Others would say:

"I'm not interested,
but I'd like to keep in touch."

"You teach me
what to stay away from in life."

You couldn't force the kids to love you.

- And we lacked the coercive methods.
- Coercive methods, no way!

We asked for a written statement,
to mark the secrecy.

Nothing more.

I had recruited so many highschool pupils!

How we persuaded the pupils
who informed on Călinescu?

I remember, it's my job!

We told them:

"Have you heard what Mugur did?"

"The poor boy has had some troubles."

"We'd like to ask you something."

"Could you talk to him?"

"Is he sorry or not?
Does he have a heavy conscience?"

"Is he having family fights?"

You could beat me and I wouldn't
remember the child informers' names.

It's been decades!

In my field - education -
we had over 100 child informers.

Even 130.

We didn't use their real names anyway.

We did a great job with that case.

- There was no abuse.
- Of course not!

We aimed to reform him.

The case was closed in August 1982,

as he was deemed
to pose no public danger.

What else does the file say?

About recruiting Mugur for collaboration...

Well, the file mentions collaboration.
But it never amounted to anything.

It was standard phrasing:
"Reforming the objective"

"and obtaining their collaboration."

It was standard practice
to call him over.

To show him that
we were there for him.

We weren't the bad guys,
we didn't try to marginalise him.

We wanted to reintegrate him!

We even asked the teachers
to keep that school meeting confidential.

So it wouldn't cause problems
for Mugur, may he rest in peace.

What else?

On December 6th,
after the school meeting -

18:20 hours.

The objective gets
a call from a classmate.

When asked to go to Dan's,
the objective says he can't,

as Dan's mother
has forbid him from visiting,

because he caused problems for Dan.

Sure, anything can have
a boomerang effect.

But our intention, mine especially,
was to reintegrate him.

To make sure
he stays on the right track.

Why were people
so afraid of the Securitate?

I'd say it's an inherited psychosis.

"Watch out for the Securitate!"

That stupid psychosis
about phone tapping.

How many people would
the hated Securitate have needed

to listen to all those phone calls?

Cambridge Analytica!

Sure, the file includes 30 pages
of transcripts of their calls.

I was just an intermediary.

As Education officer,
I dealt with the most minor issues.

I was 29 years old.

It's all in the file:
these were all my superiors.

I was only brought into this
because he was still a child.

I was found guilty of political repression.

That was the verdict!
I got a paper in the mail.

About the Călinescu case.
I burned it.

All because I decided on the measures

for a boy who was
"against the government"!

It was too stiff
to wipe my ass with.

Listen to this old man!

Plenty of people did
political repression in the Securitate.

But 90-something percent
just did their jobs.

This boy, poor thing,

committed a crime
under the influence of Radio Free Europe.

It was punishable
according to Article so-and-so.

Before '64, he'd have
gotten 15 years in prison!

But Ceaușescu wanted
no more political prisoners.

Just prevention,
community influence, reformation.

No question of them
being punished.

Mugur only got demoted
to another desk in the same classroom.

We made an oath
to be faithful to our country.

"I swear to protect
the being of my Country!"

Swearing on the being of your country

to defend it from crimes
clearly defined in the law...

That was special.

Remorse for recruiting teenagers?

Why should I?

I tell my young colleagues:

Intelligence is done
with people, after all.

Informative note:

On November 27 1981,

pupils Călinescu Mugur
and Anghel Eugen

came to ask me
for screwdriver handles.

I gave them what I had
and asked pupil Călinescu:

"After your crimes,
what measures were taken?"

Călinescu answered:

"They can't do anything to me,
since I confessed."

"My friends' betrayal is the worst."

"I've learned not to trust anyone."

"Among cowards,
you can't do anything."