The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) recently showcased the powerful film Unerasable!, directed by the pseudonymous filmmaker Socrates Saint-Wulfstan Drakos. This poignant work explores themes of exile and memory, emerging from the experiences of a displaced filmmaker known as CP. The film, which premiered on February 4, 2024, in the festival’s Tiger Competition, serves as both a personal narrative and a broader commentary on civil liberties under authoritarian regimes.
Unerasable! weaves together CP’s harrowing journey. He fled his Southeast Asian home in 2018 after enduring torture for his involvement in a pro-democracy movement. Seeking refuge in Thailand, he lived undocumented for several years before aiming for a new life in the West. Drakos, who first connected with CP a decade ago, describes their reunion in 2022 as a catalyst for the film.
Upon learning of CP’s suffering, Drakos felt compelled to document his story, stating, “A part of his life was erased from the collective memory… a human life was erased from the collective consciousness.” This realization spurred Drakos to follow CP with his camera, aiming to preserve and share the memories that had been lost.
Filming Across Borders
Drakos captured footage for Unerasable! during multiple trips to Thailand and Sweden, as well as back to CP’s homeland. The film’s aesthetic is described as a diary rather than a traditional documentary. Drakos employs found footage to enhance its themes of memory and censorship. He explains that the fragmented style mirrors the challenges of tracing history within a landscape of oppression.
“The canvas of the film is very ruptured, very fragmented,” Drakos elaborates. “You cannot see it as a very clear picture… It is a picture that has a lot of holes.” This experimental approach includes elements from other films, creating a site of refuge and resistance amid a sea of images.
Collaboration played a vital role in the film’s development. Drakos partnered with the group Ear to the Earth, known for their experimental classical music. Their collaborative efforts contributed to the film’s emotional depth, as they crafted soundscapes that resonated with Drakos’s vision.
Impact and Reception
The premiere of Unerasable! was an emotional experience for both CP and the audience. During the Q&A session, CP revealed that he cried three times while watching the film, highlighting moments that struck a personal chord, including scenes depicting his family and friends. Drakos expressed surprise at the film’s profound emotional impact on CP, emphasizing the struggle of solitude that the filmmaker faces.
Drakos’s choice of the moniker Socrates Saint-Wulfstan Drakos is equally intriguing. He selected “Saint-Wulfstan” for its rarity and chose “Socrates” due to his admiration for the philosopher’s commitment to truth. “I liked Socrates because he is a philosopher who died for speaking the truth,” Drakos stated.
Through Unerasable!, Drakos not only tells CP’s story but also sheds light on the broader struggles faced by displaced filmmakers around the world. His hope is that the film will resonate with audiences and facilitate CP’s healing process, allowing him to move forward in life.
With its compelling narrative and innovative approach, Unerasable! stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. As it continues to make its way through the film festival circuit, the film promises to leave a lasting impact on viewers and the filmmaking community alike.
