Beyond Torture: The Gulag of Pitesti, Romania (2007) | Short Movie | Fr. Roman Bragg

Beyond Torture documents the persecution of Romanians under the communist regime. You'll hear firsthand stories of the persecution of Romanians under Stalinist communism. Beyond Torture: The Gulag of Pitesti, Romania documents the persecution of Romanians under the communist regime. Electrical shock, hallucinogenic drugs, near starvation and fatal beatings were daily rituals in the prison of Pitesti, Romania. But this sadistic story goes beyond torture: this was an attempt to totally destroy a people's culture and faith. In 1949, Stalinist Soviets began a systematic sweep of Romanian college campuses. Their purpose was to imprison and transform young Romanians into a communistic way of thinking. One prisoner describes this re-education as the most vile tortures imaginable. Orthodox priest Father George Calciu says, They tried to destroy our souls. But he and others survived this gulag, lived to tell their stories and even forgave their captors. In this documentary, you'll meet three survivors from the prison of Pitesti and see shocking paintings that capture the essence of the extreme torture.

Director: Alan Hartwick
Starring: Fr. Roman Bragg, Fr. George Calciu, Dr. Nicu Ionita