A film series featuring documentaries on the historical memory of the Spanish Civil War will take place this fall at New York University’s King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center (located at 53 Washington Square South) beginning on Thursday, October 5. The series, to run through mid-November, sheds light on various subjects that unearth the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War: prisoners under Franco, executions and mass burials, the guerrillas who fought against Franco after the war, and the war legacy in present day Spain. In many cases, the filmmakers will be present for a Q&A after the screening.
The screenings are free and open to the public; for further information call 212.998.3650 or visit www.nyu.edu/kjc.
The schedule of films follows:
Thurs., Oct. 5, 7:15 p.m. Santa Cruz por ejemplo. (Spain, Austria, 2005, 65 min., Günter Schwaiger). In Spanish, with English subtitles. The filmmaker will be present for a Q&A. One location, Santa Cruz de la Salceda, is taken as an example. In 1936, nine residents were murdered by supporters of Franco. Some of these victims were exhumed and laid to rest in 2003 and 2004. The impact of this massacre is portrayed through witnesses and family members, exhumation volunteers and technicians, and the residents of the town.
Thurs., Oct. 12, 7:15 p.m. Los presos del silencio (Spain, 2004, 58 min., Mariano Agudo and Eduardo Montero). In Spanish, with English subtitles. Between 1940 and 1962, almost 10,000 political prisoners took part in the construction of the Lower Guadalquivir Canal, today known at the Prisoners’ Canal. More than 150 km, it continues to irrigate one of the main agricultural arteries in Andalucia.
Thurs., Oct. 26, 7:15 p.m. La columna de los ocho mil (Spain, 2005, 66 min., Angel Hernández García, Antonio Navarro and Fernando Ramos). In Spanish, with English subtitles. In September, 1936, the last enclaves in the southwest of Extremadura were about to be captured by the rebels; thousands try to flee in an organized way; the column is attacked.
Thurs., Nov. 2, 7:15 p.m. La guerrilla de la memoria (Spain, 2001, 67 min., Javier Corcuera). In Spanish, with English subtitles. The filmmaker will be present for a Q&A. Although Franco proclaims the war over on April 1, 1939, a group of people remain to resist - men and women take to the mountains to keep the fight going.
Thurs., Nov. 9, 7:15 p.m. El convoy de los 927 (Spain, 2004, 65 min., Montserrat Armengou and Ricard Belis). In Spanish, with English subtitles. The filmmakers will be present for a Q&A. On August 24, 1940, 927 Spaniards who’d fought in the Spanish Civil War found themselves in a freight train after seeking refuge in France. They thought they were being taken to unoccupied Vichy, France, but wound up in a small Austrian village, Mauthausen, also the name of a nearby concentration camp.
Sat., Nov. 11, 2 p.m. La memoria es vaga (Spain, 2004, 58 min., Katie Halper) and Muerte en el Valle (U.S. 1996, 50 mins., CM Hardt). In Spanish, with English subtitles. The filmmakers will be present for a Q&A.