Me and the Comrade.
A Graphic Novel by Laura Farcas
The Plot
Set in 1980s Romania during the regime of dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, the story unfolds in a working-class neighborhood shaped by the ideals of the so-called "Golden Age."
Frustrated by her daily hardships, Lorinel, an inquisitive and determined 6-year-old girl, sets out on a personal investigation to find and confront the beloved leader of her nation. Guided by Father Duhu — a tiny grumpy hedonist priest who teaches history and lectures moral lessons — she questions power, history, and the world around her.
Her journey brings her face-to-face with the dictator himself, who proudly defends his grand achievements. Disillusioned, she retreats to school, where a dream about Voivod Vlad (the famous Dracula) sparks a new quest for fairness in a time marked by violence and authority.
For the second time she goes to the presidential palace, and what follows will be a surprise ...
My name is Lorinel, but my enemies call me Chlorinel...
I am a 6-year-old girl born in 1980, at the time of Comrade Tcheauchescu in the Romanian Socialist Republic. What, you don't know who Comrade Tcheauchescu is? He is the president of our republic.
My space.
My family is large and to feed ourselves we have to get up in the morning to receive our food ration in exchange for colored cards. But what does it matter because I live with pride in a multi-developed country that makes capitalist countries blush with shame and envy. The comrade is attentive with me and he often takes me around the country to show me the great achievements. Popa Duhu, my invisible friend, is very upset because he believes that he has nothing to discuss with an atheist. He is wrong because the great ideals are achieved.
Victory of science.
Our country has just sent the first cosmonaut into space, where he proudly planted the flag of our country.
Not only the present, but also the past is glorious.
The teacher at school tells us with pride about the glorious battles of the heroes. The greatest hero is Vlad the Impaler. He also showed me how much he fought and sweated in the battles against the Turks. He did impale some of them, but only because they were thieves.
My adventures continue...
