Atlas of Disappearance

synopsis

Over four decades, Franco’s regime in Spain left tens of thousands dead or disappeared. A sinister topography of terror lies in hundreds of mass graves, where the bodies of the disappeared ended up, stripped of their identities and individual fates. A colossal reminder of this troubled era is an ominous monument built from the remains of thousands of anonymous people, yet bearing only two names: Francisco Franco and José Antonio Primo de Rivera. Accompanied by archaeologists, the filmmakers visit the controversial Valley of the Fallen (Valle de los Caídos) memorial and use new forensic methods to try to recover at least a fraction of the stories and identities hidden in forests, fields and caves.

“Enforced disappearance unfolds in three stages. First, the abduction. Then, the murder. But what truly defines the crime is the violence against evidence: all traces are erased, the bodies concealed, and witnesses silenced.”

biography

Manuel Correa (1991) is a Colombian filmmaker and artist based in Madrid, Spain. His work explores collective trauma and analyses post-conflict transformations in contemporary societies. He holds a degree in Research Architecture at Goldsmiths from the University of London. His work has been presented at the Venice Biennale and the Medellín Museum of Modern Art.

film details

director:	Manuel Correa
cast:	Silvia Navarro-Pablo, Fausto Canales Bermejo, Mercedes Abril Alonso, Joan Pinyol Colom, Francisco Etxeberría Gabilondo
producer:	Anna Giralt Gris, Jorge Caballero Ramos, Emil Olsen
script:	Manuel Correa
photography:	Manuel Correa
editing:	Simón Mesa Giraldo, Manuel Correa, Iván Guarnizo
sound design:	Emil Olsen

contact

Vanesa Toca / Freak Agency
internacional@agenciafreak.com