Remembering dictatorship

Broken Man Statue - Revolution Square, Bucharest Dr Sara Jones

Press release issued: 14 September 2011

Life under state socialism is the theme of a series of free public events hosted by the University of Bristol this September as part of research into the legacy of socialist dictatorship and its impact on the post-socialist present.

Those who experienced life in the now-defunct socialist states are invited to meet the researchers at an informal event on Saturday 17 September to share their experiences and contribute to the research through a unique ‘memory project’.

There will also be a literary reading by the Romanian writer Carmen-Francesca Banciu, a screening of the film My DDR T-shirt, a documentary inspired by the director’s trip to Berlin in 2005, and a performance of Here we found the bodies… and now where is justice?, a play about the oral histories of political execution in communist Albania.

Admission to all events is free, but booking is required in advance by contacting Diane Thorne, tel: +44 (0)117 3318318, email: diane.thorne@bristol.ac.uk

Here we found the bodies… and now where is justice? by Jeras Naco and Shannon Woodcock will be performed on Thursday 15 September from 6.30pm in the Lady Windsor Studio Theatre, University of Bristol Students’ Union, Queen’s Road, BS8 1LN

The literary reading by the Romanian writer Carmen-Francesca Banciu (in translation), whose work draws on her experiences as a dissident living under Ceausescu, takes place on Friday 16 September from 8:30pm at Clifton Hill House, Lower Clifton Hill, Clifton, BS8 1BX

Screening of the film My DDR T-shirt by Ian Hawkins, followed by a discussion with Ian Hawkins and academic staff from the University of Bristol, takes place on Saturday 17 September from 2pm at Clifton Hill House, Lower Clifton Hill, Clifton, BS8 1BX

The informal gathering to hear about and discuss the research project on memories of living under State Socialism takes place on Saturday 17 September from 6pm at Clifton Hill House, Lower Clifton Hill, Clifton, BS8 1BX. The researchers are interested in hearing from anybody with memories of that time. If you can’t come to the event, but would like to be involved in the project please email socialismeyewitnesses@gmail.com

The events coincide with an academic conference, Remembering Dictatorship: State-Socialist Pasts in Post-Socialist Presents, organised by Dr Sara Jones and Dr Debbie Pinfold of the School of Modern Languages, University of Bristol.