German Premiere

Movie premiere + panel discussion

Franco on Trial, the new film by documentary filmmakers Palacios and Post, celebrated its German premiere on October 16, 2018 in Berlin. More than 300 guests filled the iconic and historic Berlin cinema Babylon. The film’s theatrical release is being sponsored by The Spanish Embassy of Berlin, Instituto Cervantes, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, Fighters and Friends of the Spanish Republic and the German Association of Spanish Teachers. The Spanish ambassador Ricardo Martínez and Wenke Christoph of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation held brief welcoming speeches, stressing that in times of new nationalist and racist movements, a film, such as Franco on Trial becomes a special importance.

After the screening of the film a panel discussion (Franco on Trial: Spain in the focus of international justice) took place featuring the following speakers:

Carlos Castresana (Former General State Prosecutor at the Spanish Supreme Court)

Fernando Martínez (Head of department of Historic Memory within the ministry of Justice)

Stefanie Schüler-Springorum (Historian and author of the book The Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939)

Lucía Palacios und Dietmar Post (Filmmakers)

Moderator Dieter Ingenschay (Professor for Spanish Literature and Culture at Humboldt-University)

The many spectators awaited eagerly the contribution by Fernando Martínez who very recently had been appointed Head of the newly created office for Historic Memory by the Spanish Government under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. His statements gave victims of the Franco dictatorship some hope. He promised that the boycott by the previous conservative government under Mariano Rajoy towards the Argentinean intent to take to justice the last living presumed criminals of the dictatorship will be ended. The entire debate can be watched online for free by registering at the play loud! archive & store

Comments on the movie

Ana Messuti
(Doctor of Law and lawyer for the victims of Francoism)
I liked the film very much: it is complete, with lots of information and images we didn’t know about before. It presents itself in a coherent form and has an extraordinary quality.
The film Franco On Trial’s greatest accomplishment is that it positions the complaint in a broader international context, pointing out Francoist Spain´s alliance with the Axis powers in Germany and in Italy. This is crucial from a legal point of view as it places crimes against humanity in an international context by crossing Spanish frontiers. In this way, the victims -specially the eternally forgotten victims of deportation and exile- are entitled to act as plaintiffs. They are all victims of the same regime, which had the help and complicity of other regimes. This makes them even more vulnerable. It is essential to highlight how Franco On Trial accomplishes this correlation since other films on the subject barely do so.
The Spanish tragedy is part of the German, French, well, the European tragedy. The Spanish Civil War is not limited to being civil nor Spanish. The international participation can be seen on both sides within the conflict. The more the conflict is internationalized, the more the crimes against the civil population are internationalized.

Kerstin Stutterheim
(Dr phil, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies at Bournemouth University, UK)
Cinematic documentaries give people a voice otherwise not heard, as Peter O’Rourke once said – but there is more. It is the tradition of poetic cinema to allow not just an argument to develop but to invite the audience as citizens, on eye level and as eye witnesses, to form their own opinion about an event, fate, topic. The traditional documentary approach which is cinematic standard primed by Vertov and Ivens, still used by international awarded filmmakers as Guzman or Mettler, enables the audience to familiarise themselves with a situation. As the audience we are allowed to get to know the people involved and their individual stories, as well as the complexity of the interaction of personal destinies and a historical situation or period. This is the quality of that aesthetic tradition which is flexible enough to be adapted for particular stories, such as the one told here. And, this form allows to unfold the particular in the general.
From my point of view, living in a time of populistic media, fake news and neo-liberal opinion making, a film such as Franco on Trail creates a good counterweight to latent and indoctrinated media productions.
In Franco on Trial  the filmmakers are introducing us to a dark and not much known period of European history which influenced many parts of the world. And, it gives an idea of hidden processes involved in contemporary politics in Spain and behind.
Together with the central figures of the judge and lawyers from Argentinia, we – the audience – get to know facts and memories which are told, and actions connected to the investigation are shown and explained. Thus, we can experience the dimension for individuals as well for society. Post and Palacios are introducing us to the complex work involved in such a trial, and the importance for so many survivors and relatives of the victims as well as for the families of the perpetrators.
The exceptional quality of the film results from both sides getting a voice – those against whom the killing has been directed; and the side of the perpetrators. By enfolding the dimensions of the time and events of the Franco dictatorship slowly but steadily the pure horror of what happened there becomes more and more apparent. The judges and anthropologist involved allow us to get a bigger picture, to reflect on the events, motivation and importance of the trial – although after such a long time. It is important to get to know about the crime committed against democratic thinking people, about a calculated genocide against republicans, Jews and women who wanted to live on their own rights.
By deciding for the aesthetics of a poetic documentary the filmmakers are gently introducing us into the story. No emotionally heated up comments require us to provide an immediate response here. The filmmakers look the protagonists in the face, giving them space – and so us. We can relate to them, understand their pain or their desire to provide enlightenment. This cinematic method achieves long lasting emotional and intellectual response, thus initiating a discussion about the film and its topic.
Thus, the film is about the events there and then but at the same time it is a metaphor for genocides happening again and again all over the world.
I wish the film, the filmmaker and in particular the protagonists, all people involved in this production a broad audience and vibrant discussion.