The Archive of the Romanian Revolution of December 1989

Further evidence that the Romanian Revolution of December 1989–or at least many of its most important moments and details–was videotaped, more so than televised (as Andrei Codrescu once suggested)–now available, at least for the time being, online:  the film, “Videograms of a Revolution.”  I had forgotten how extraordinary this documentary by Andrei Ujica and Harun Farocki, released on 1 January 1992, really is.  Its use of videotape, its smooth transitions and editing, its sparse commentary, its brilliant minimalism and simplicity bringing the full force of the emotions of the moment to bear…

PALPITANT!

Farcau Mariana Rodica (misidentified in the film as Rodica Marcau)

nascuta in 9 ianuarie 1962 la Supur (jud. Satu Mare), lucratoare comerciala la ICSMA (1989), acum pensionata cu grad 2 de invaliditate, impuscata in umarul drept si spate…La podul Decebal, intre pod si parc, erau militari in uniforma verde. Printre ei si unii mai in virsta, imbracati civil. In spate se vedea si un camion. Cind ne-am aproiat de ei, strigind “Armata e cu noi!” si alte lozinci, ne-am pomenit cu o ploaie de gloante (fara somatie). In momentul acela am simtit o durere puternica si am cazut. Fusesem atinsa de doua gloante (unul exploziv). Am facut pipi pe mine si am vazut parca niste stele si oameni luind-o la fuga. Dupa ce rafalele au incetat cei care se aruncasera la pamint s-au ridicat si unii plecau. Am strigat: “Luati-ma si pe mine!”. Cineva a zis: “Uite, asta nu-i moarta! Hai s-o luam!”. Altul zice: “Bine, dar e grea!”. M-au legat cu fularul si vorbeau intre ei sa aduca o masina. Eu am scos cheile de la masina si le-am dat, spunind ca am masina in parcarea de la Termal (unde o dusesem intre timp). Apoi mi-am pierdut cunostiinta si m-am trezit la spital.

excerpted from http://www.timisoara.com/mioc/REVT02~1.HTM

One can only be impressed and awestruck at the basic decency and human spirit of the demonstrators “fara violenta”…”without violence”

The Flight of the Ceausescus…more so 12:09 East of Bucharest than 12:08 East of Bucharest according to the videotape…

Another blow to rigid conspiracy theorists:  when they originally cut to the CC when Iliescu was to speak there were technical difficulties and when they did reestablish a good connection, Mazilu not Iliescu was broadcast

The telephone discussions of Vlad and Guse are to say the least…interesting…also, later Postelnicu appears to be drunk…

Reflecting the time at which this film was assembled and appeared the DIA hypothesis sneaks in in the first minute…I have discussed on this site the role of Securitate revisionism in giving birth to and fueling this hypothesis in 1990 and 1991.

Nicolae Camarasescu, Securitate V-a, the guy the Romanian press likes to identify as arrested as a “terrorist” in December 1989, then leading the miners in the rampage on 14-15 June 1990 in Bucharest…yet all the time maintaining the Securitate terrorists didn’t exist…in other words, elemental of the internal contradictions of so many media discussions on December 1989