Synopsis

After the success of Franco´s Settlers, their first encounter with Franco’s dictatorship, filmmakers Dietmar Post and Lucía Palacios now tackle one of the most undisclosed chapters of European history: the allegedly organized extermination that took place in Spain under General Franco’s fascist dictatorship between 1936 and 1975 after he established his power with the help of Germany, Italy and Portugal. To this day no one has been prosecuted for the regime’s systematic atrocities; victims haven’t been rehabilitated. Over 100,000 people are still missing.
After a Spanish judge´s attempt to accuse Franco and his generals for crimes against humanity failed in 2010, Franco’s victims filed a complaint in Buenos Aires, known as “Querella Argentina”. Now for the first time, an Argentinian investigating judge, María Servini, has issued 24 international arrest warrants against high-ranking representatives of the Franco dictatorship. The filmmakers accompany her as she tries to initiate court proceedings against the accused, proving that a reappraisal of Spain’s darkest chapter is long overdue.
Franco on Trial debates specific crime cases presented in the Argentinean Lawsuit. By interweaving never-before-seen archival material with current footage and by delivering a historical contextualization of each case the film itself demonstrates new evidence. In one of the key scenes, the film creates a sense of the impending lawsuit’s actuality when one of the suspected perpetrators is confronted directly with the accusations by the plaintiff, the investigating judge and the plaintiff’s lawyer.
The film has been in the works for over 8 years. During that time the directors managed to gain access to people from both sides of the conflict, including the daughter of a general in the 1936 coup who still counts a silver-framed portrait and personal present of German Nazi-leader Hermann Goering among her possessions.
Franco on Trial reveals an almost forgotten part of 20th century European history and raises the question: Will the so-called “Argentinian Complaint” become a Spanish Nuremberg?

Screenings

2020

DUE TO THE CRISIS CAUSED BY THE CORONA VIRUS, ALL APRIL SCREENINGS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED. WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE NEW DATES SOON.

Badajoz – 16 de abril a las 19:00h – Organised by ARMH and Unión de Bibliófilos de Extremadura. With Dietmar Post and José Manuel Corbacho, president of the ARMH de Extremadura.

Mérida – 15 de abril a las 20:00h – Organised by La Enredadera. With Dietmar Post.

Guadiana (Badajoz) – 14 de abril a las 20:00h – Organised by ARMH Extremadura. With Dietmar Post.

Madrid – 13 April – Ateneo de Madrid – Debate with Francisco Vargas Mendieta, Ana Messuti (tba), Dietmar Post & Lucía Palacios.

Logroño – 6 April – Cines Moderno – Organised by the association La Barranca (Association for the preservation of historical memory in La Rioja). Q&A with Dietmar Post.

Berlin – 31 March – Instituto Cervantes – Introduction by Stefanie Schüler-Springorum, Q&A with Dietmar Post and Lucía Palacios.

Paris – 27 Febr – Centre Paris Anim´ – Debate with María Garzón (Baltasar Garzón Foundation) and Dietmar Post – Organised by the Association 24 août 1944.

2019

Guardamar del Segura – 15 Oct– Ayuntamiento de Guardamar

Orihuela – 14 Oct – Asociación Cultural Miguel Hernández

Madrid – 4 Oct – Universidad Autónoma

Vistabella del Maestrat – 17 Aug – X Jornades de Memòria Històrica

Barcelona – 10 April – Universitat Barcelona

Rocafort – 11 April – Casa de cultura (Asociación vecinal Antonio Machado)

Pamplona – 12 April – Cinema Golem Yamaguchi

Bilbao – 26 March – Salón El Carmen

Guadiana – 1 Febr – Casa de la cultura

Talavera de la Reina – 2 Febr – Casa de los pueblos

Motril – 5 Febr – Muestra de cine La desbandá, Teatro Calderón