Educational Media Reviews Online

Bones of Contention leaves the viewer with a sense of imbalance, a lack of resolution instilled not through any fault of filmography but instead by the realities of its subject. This somber documentary examines the persecution of gays, lesbians, and women in general under Franco’s dictatorship after the Spanish Civil War, using Federico Garcia Lorca as a symbol and touchstone to stand for all those “disappeared” under his regime. The discussion revolves around the nature of historical memory; where it comes from, who propagates it, and the Spanish government’s refusal to fully reckon with it, specifically regarding their historical complicity in the massacres.

Created by Jezebel Films, a production outfit that includes many works on feminist/women’s issues and LGBT themes, Bones of Contention has an intersectional air. The narrative weaves between the regime’s persecution of women and the regime’s persecution of LGBT people. This is most evident in its treatment of the invisibility of female sexuality and how it produced a difference in the persecution of gay men and lesbians.

The tone of the documentary is contemplative, switching between scholars examining the impact of Lorca’s work and his death, and interviews with people personally affected by the persecutions. This tone is complemented by an understated musical score that uses Spanish classical guitar to reinforce the cultural place of the film, as well as selected historical film clips with contemporaneous music to punctuate historical segments. Structurally, the film has a flowing narrative that uses Lorca’s poetry to transition among topics, including a reading of each stanza as it appears on the black background. All of this comes together to make both an academic and emotional case for the central point of the film: for healing to occur, the historical memory must be uncovered, confronted, and dealt with in the open rather than elided and ignored in the interest of avoiding “reopening old wounds.”

This film has several potential uses within a library collection. Libraries with a strong collection of materials relating to Spain and/or Spanish language programs with a strong focus on history and culture would be well served by obtaining this. Similarly, the themes of intersectionality and LGBT history make the documentary an excellent candidate for any library supporting a curriculum on those issues. Finally, it is a wonderful illustration of the connection between poetry, history, and historical memory, with strong applicability to film studies and English or literature programs.

Bones of Contention comes with public performance rights (and a price point to match), and has potential for campus film nights and/or community discussion sessions about LGBTQ issues, feminism, historical memory, poetry, and Spanish history. It has an overt political argument concerning the role of the Spanish government in these matters, and does not give much weight or time to opposing arguments, but it makes its point thoughtfully and artistically. This would be a valuable addition to many college and university libraries.