Educational Media Reviews Online

Crònica d’una Mirada is a series of six episodes of films from Spain created from the beginning of the 60s to the end of the 70s. Some of the films captured real events and have archival footage. Many of these films were never published and were created by amateurs. The films represent social, political, and economic conflicts in Spain during the last two decades of Franco's regime, a time when films were very limited and censored to the extreme. From year to year you will note more and more involvement from the filmmakers to create an independent cinema that showed the social, economic, and political crisis and the urgent need for changes.

Episode 1: Good Manners

This episode shows the day today morality from the beginning of the 60s. It shows interesting interviews with some filmmakers. Joan Gabriel Tharrats talks about his film Viernes Santo, a film about repent and unforgiveness. Juan Amoros, director of photography, talks about the film Lejos de los Árboles (1964) directed by Jacint Esteva. This film was a denunciation of those in power and how they abused their positions. Carles Barba, an amateur filmmaker, used to film important people only (politicians, the rich) later he decides to film other aspects and show the differences between the poor and the rich.

Other films mentioned in this episode are: Vacaciones Cristianas, Vacaciones Paganas (1961) by Carles Barba; El Alegre Paralelo (1964) by Enric Ripoll-Freixes and Josep-Maria Ramon.

Films included as extras on disc 1: El Alegre Paralelo (1964, 28 min.), Enric Ripoll and Josep-Maria Freixes; Viernes Santo (1960, 26 min.), Joan Gabriel Tharrats; Aspectes i Personatges de Barcelona 1964 (1975, 25 min.), Carles Barba. Films in Spanish or Catalan, no English subtitles.

Episode 2: Vía 8; Notes on Immigration

Included in this episode are films related to historical immigration. It shows more films about social issues than the previous episode.

Será tu Tierra (1966) directed by Llorenc Soler. A very interesting film based on immigration during the 1960s in Barcelona. Director Soler was hired to shoot a propaganda film about the good deeds (“providing shelter to migrants”) of the Patronato de la Vivienda. Soler showed instead the poor living conditions of the people. The Patronato decided not to show the film—not wanting to show that people who just arrived in the city were living on the streets, dumps, or in barracks. Soler decided to continue filming and created a separate independent film of the same subject, Largo Viaje Hacia la Ira (1969).

52 Domingos, a film about expectations, marks social classes and dreams. Young boys working as construction workers or in similar jobs, knew that by working all their lives they would never be rich. They dreamed to become bullfighters, a job for the elite, to improve their families’ economic conditions.

El Campo para el Hombre, 1974 a Colectivo de Cine de Clase by Helena Lumbreras y Mariano Lisa. This is a film about rural migration. It was very difficult to shoot this film. At that time it was hard going to a town with a camera—a person could be detained by the police for just having a camera.

No se Admite Personal, is about Barcelona’s unemployment. Shot during a normal day when a person goes out to look for jobs. It pictures men standing in line on the sidewalks waiting to be picked up, only if they look strong and healthy, by the guy with the truck. It also shows how women were discriminated for jobs and how a person could be rejected because of his age or for not being a Catalonian.

Other films commented: Distancia de Cero a Infinito, 1969 by Jordi Bayona; Un lugar para dormir (Lloc per dormer), 1971 by Jordi Bayona; Distancia 200 metres, 1967 by Jordi Bayona; “O Todos o Ninguno,” 1976 by Helena Lumbreras y Mariano Lisa. Films included as extras on disc 2: No se Admite Personal (Plaza de Urquinaona) (1968, 15 min.) by Antoni Lucchetti; El Campo para el Hombre (1974, 49 min.) by Helena Lumbreras and Mariano Lisa; 52 Domingos (1967, 27 min.) by Llorenc Soler. Films are in Spanish without English subtitles

Episode 3: Clandestine Networks

In this episode films become a political tool. Credit names are not included to protect everybody involved in the creation and distribution of films. Reels were confiscated by the police and developed to identify the suspects. Fake names were added; films were cataloged among medieval texts and distributed to interested parties only. The cinema became a clandestine network.

The ETA started its activity and began to draw a lot of attention from journalists from all over the world. Filmmakers wanted to help them and to assure that the social problems of Spain and the dictatorship were told and would not become just another cover up of the Spanish Civil War.

One of the most important documentaries was the Miting de Paris, in 1971, about the massive political gathering by Dolores Ibarruri and Santiago Carrillo in the village of Montreuil. It was introduced into Spain clandestinely.

Other films mentioned in this episode: Manifestacio 18 de Febrer a Barcelona, 1976 by several collaborators; Mitin de Ginebra, 1974.

Films included as extras on disc 3: Paris, 20 de juny de 1971 Miting a Montreuil (1971, 106 min.).

Episode 4: Fight Partners

This episode describes the historical background of the political issues. It demonstrates the censorship, hiding, and persecution of the filmmakers. This is an excellent episode.

El sopar, 1974 by Pere Portabella. He explains the motif of the film, the subjects covered and the precautions taken to create the films during that period. The film describes the meeting that took place in 1974 in Catalonia. It addresses specific questions of political prisoners. All names involved in the film are protected.

Other films mentioned: Poetes Catalas, 1979 by Pere Portabella; Sant Cugat, 1979 anonymous.

Films included as extras in disc 4: “La Censura del Franquismo (1971, 29 min) by Manuel Esteban.

Episode 5: Aires Nuevo: New Changes

The political, social and psychological situation changed in Spain after the events of May 1968 and the terrorist attack against Carrero Blanco, Prime Minister. This situation was reflected in the creation of the independent cinema. Films became a stronger tool criticizing not only social issues but environmental issues as well. Distribution operations were started by Josep Miguel Marti Rom and Joan Marti Valls and were named “Central Corto” and “Cooperativa de Cine Alternativo.”

Cop Baix, 1968 by Jan Baca and Toni Garriga, is an animated film about world boxing. Blanc I Negre, 1974 by Jan Baca and Toni Garriga, is a film about the businessman overworking the workers. Habitat, 1971, is a critical film on the destruction of nature due to over construction and growth. Lock Out, 1973 by Anthony Padrós, is a film about people who live outside the consumer society, in a sort of commune.

Films included as extras in disc 5: Sexperiencias (1969, 92 min.) by José María Nunes (banned); Dafnis y Cloe (1969, 23 min.) by Anthony Padrós. In Catalan without English subtitles.

Part 6: Al final del Tunel: The end of the Tunnel

All the unsteadiness, fears and hopes in the final period of Franco’s years are reflected in the independent cinema. The film Entre las Esperanza y el Fraude, 1974-77 produced by Bartomeu Villà was the first film that explained the 2nd Republic and civil war from a different perspective than the official version. It was addressed to the young people who had lived only under the dictatorship. ¡Votad, votad malditos! Produced by Soler. He walks the streets the day before the 1st democratic elections (15th June, 1977) asking people who are they going to vote for. Testament, 1977 by Joan Martí Valls, comes from a perspective that pictures people’s feelings in Franco’s last days. Un Libro es una arma, 1975, by Cooperativa de Cinema Alternateu, is about the attacks from the extreme right wing against cultural centers in Barcelona during the years of 1973 and 1974. Can Serra: La Objecion, 1976, is about conscious objectors and their desire to do social work instead of joining the army. Alborada, 1976 by Joan Mallarach and Luis Garay (archival material used from unedited Nazi films). Hic Digitur Dei, 1976-77 by Antoni Martí I Gich, is a satire about Franco.

Films included as features in disc 6: ¡Votad, votad malditos! (1977, 23 min.) by Lorenç Soler (in Spanish). Hic Digitur Dei (1976-77, 85 min.) by Antoni Martí I Gich (in Catalan no English subtitles). The picture and sound qualities are good, with superb historic footage and interviews. The documentary is in Spanish and Catalan with the optional subtitles in Spanish or English. The feature films included as extras are either in Spanish or Catalan and have no English subtitles.