Polyphonic Echoes of Memory: Between Revolutions (2023), an Affective Epistolary Film

This study uses Bakhtinian methods to examine how the essay film Between Revolutions (Între revoluţii, Vlad Petri, 2023) portrays the polyphonic nature of memory and trauma in narratives about revolutions, focusing on two women’s experiences in Romania and Iran through the epistolary form. The author aims to explore the relationship between individual and collective memories, emphasizing how these narratives, free from media dominance, challenge prevailing belief about revolutions in Iran and Romania. This polyphonic approach – where multiple, independent voices and perspectives coexist within the narrative – allows the film to interweave personal and historical narratives through a diverse array of voices, both female and male, public and private. By blending political and intimate perspectives, it amplifies the voices of ordinary citizens from Romania and Iran. The intermediality of image, voiceover, and music enriches the polyphonic structure, employing archival footage, protest sounds, and interviews juxtaposed with moments of silence and personal letters. The research highlights the film’s dialogic approach to memory, analyzing how the combination and juxtaposition of personal stories and archival footage enriches cultural memory.