Vids to remember 75 years ago: Spanish civil war + Revolution

(full blog post with films embedded is on the barcelona transition blog here: Vids to remember 75 years ago: Spanish civil war + Revolution )

The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939. The Second Republic existed and made massive changes for the people of spain, hopes soared, true social justice seemed achieble, only to be quashed by a military coup de etat which succeeded in ending the dreams of millions and entering Spain into 38 years of repressive fascism under the control of Franco.

The 19th of July marked the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the Spanish Revolution. For a brief time, capitalism and the State were replaced by solidarity, mutual aid and respect for others. Workers and peasants, who were deeply influenced by anarchist ideas, ran society collectively and gained control over their lives, industry and land. A central part of the revolution was the struggle against a fascist attempt to take over Spain.

.

Photos : 1 | Spanish Civil War Articles : NO PASARAN! 75th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War

| Free Women of Spain   Filmlists: classic films about the war | wikipedia

1936. David an unemployed young man, leaves Liverpool to join the fight against Fascism in the early days of the Spanish Civil War. He joins an international section of the Republican Militia on the Aragon front where he experiences the trials and anguish of the war.Wounded, he convalesces in Barcelona and is caught in the conflict on the Republican side between the Communist Party and his revolutionary comrades in the militia.The resolution of this conflict and David’s return to the front may seem tragic but his belief in the possibility of revolutionary change is unshaken. His story is revealed only after his death, sixty years later, in letters discovered by his granddaughter.

Libertarias: In the midst of the Spanish Revolution and Spanish Civil War in Barcelona, militia women Pilar (Ana Belen) and Floren (Victoria Abril) are joined by former prostitute Charo (Loles Leon) and former nun Maria (Ariadna Gil). The film opens with scenes of working class militants demolishing and burning religious icons, as they shout “down with Capitalism!” and “long live the libertarian revolution!” While fully immersed in the overall enthusiasm of revolutionary Spain, Pilar and friends find themselves fighting against deep gender inequality which complicates their efforts in the war against Francisco Franco’s Nationalist/Fascist/Catholic forces. They encounter resistance even within their own “Free Women” (Mujeres Libres) organization as one woman (that resembles Federica Montseny) tries to persuade them to stay and work in defense factories, while men try to convince them to go work as cooks, not front-line soldiers.

Butterfly is the English language DVD release title for La lengua de las mariposas (Spanish The Tongue of the Butterflies), a 1999 Spanish film directed by José Luis Cuerda. The film centers on Moncho and his coming-of-age experience in Galicia in 1936. Moncho develops a close relationship with his teacher Don Gregorio who introduces the boy to different things in the world. While the story centers on Moncho’s ordinary coming-of-age experiences, tensions related to the looming Spanish Civil War periodically interrupt Moncho’s personal growth and daily life.

A documentary about Anarchist communities established by the CNT/FAI, an Spanish revolutionary group. The Spanish Anarchist experiment is the largest and most compelling example of Anarchism being implemented in the real world.

.

Workers opened communal cafes where people could eat for free. Communities set up food committees to arrange food supply with the countryside — market commerce and money was replaced in many areas by distribution according to need. Free schools, universities and health programs were set up and administrated by the workers themselves. Rural areas were collectivised. This experience, in which about 8 million people participated, showed that anarchist organisation of society could indeed work in practice. It truly was a Living Utopia.

A documentary chronicling the lives of women of the anarchist-feminist organization, Mujeres Libres (Free Women), during the Spanish Revolution (1936–39). Interviewees include former members discussing revolutionary Spain and women’s involvement in the war, their relationship to the other anarchist organizations at the time — and their lives since. Decades later, Mujeres Libres remains a model for revolutionary feminist theory and action. In Spanish, with English subtitles.