Nothing, nothing, nothing… A Chronicle of Memory

In “Nothing, nothing, nothing… A Chronicle of Memory,” we are drawn into the poignant narrative of Doinel Mateescu, a man who lost his leg in October 2013 due to complications from diabetes, stemming from a lifetime of poor dietary habits. Despite his physical limitations and confinement to a wheelchair, Doinel started to talk more and more about the memories of his family’s struggles, particularly during the tumultuous era of communist rule in Romania. They became like a leitmotif of his conversations, unable to live fully in the present.

Doinel’s steadfast refusal to abandon his childhood home, despite its lack of suitability for his condition, creates the background for this regression in to the past as there is the only space, he felt complete (also physically). Within these walls, he finds solace in recounting the stories passed down from his parents, but also the ones he lived as a child and adult, tales that serve as a testament to the resilience and endurance of his family amidst oppression and hardship. Through a series of intimate vignettes, as his daughter, Gabriela, weaves Doinel’s narrative, we are confronted with the stark reality of a history often overlooked or intentionally obscured. The term “chiabur,” denoting a wealthy peasant vilified under communist rule, becomes emblematic of the socioeconomic divisions and injustices endured by Doinel’s family and countless others.

One storyline that pops up multiple times is the fact that his father was tortured by being made to stand on one leg for hours to sign away his land. 60 years later, his own leg is lost.

The act of recording these stories, initially spurred by a fear of forgetting, evolves into a profound act of preservation and defiance against collective amnesia. Despite the limitations of outdated technology, the daughter`s diligently captures her father`s oral history, recognizing its intrinsic value in safeguarding the past for her future self, as she also learned about it too late. After completing her high school education with a major in History and graduating from the Philosophy and Art faculties, Gabriela found herself grappling with a profound realization: despite her extensive academic background, there were significant gaps in her understanding of recent historical events. These gaps are not due to her own oversight or negligence but rather stem from the systemic omission of these events from educational curricula.

Against the backdrop of Romania’s tumultuous history, characterized by state censorship and selective remembrance, the work emerges as a personal meditation on the importance of individual memory in the face of oblivion. Through the lens of her father`s repeated words, the film underscores the imperative to confront and reckon with the traumas of the past, lest they be consigned to obscurity.