Narrating the past: Cultural memory and Romanian identity in Aferim!

Abstract

In contrast to the internationally celebrated New Romanian Cinema, Aferim! (Radu Jude, 2015), set in the distant past, invokes the historical filmmaking tradition as represented by Sergiu Nicolaescu’s historical epics, including references to the literary adaptations of the socialist era La moara cu Noroc / The Mill of Good Luck (Victor Iliu, 1957) and Moromeții / The Moromete Family (Stere Gulea, 1987). The article identifies notions of Romanian identity in relation to changing ideas of nationalism to show how Aferim! uses representations of violence as a means of illuminating and interrogating romantic-heroic visions of the history of the nation and encouraging national self-knowledge.