The Pact of Forgetting
In this 25-minute performance Sergi Casero examines Spain’s amnesty law introduced after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. This law prevents legal investigation into the crimes committed during his 40-year rule and enforces the act of forgetting on all Spanish people who lived through the brutal regime. This collective amnesia still affects Spanish society today, leaving an incomplete national narrative.
Casero’s performance builds on this historical silence in Spain and explores its effects on those born after the dictatorship. Immaterial elements such as light and sound evoke the memories of the main characters, including his grandmother who lived through the Civil War and Franco regime. Finally, the performance also advocates for a more general re-evaluation of the need to collect different perspectives, beyond the ‘official’ versions of history.
