Today’s program brings the Spanish film ‘Las locas del Obelisco’ to Saraqusta Film Festival, where it is competing in the feature film competition category. The film will be screened at the Cine Cervantes at 9:00 p.m.
The film tells the story of María Ana Allsopp, a young aristocrat deeply moved by the plight of thousands of women who arrived in Madrid in the late 19th century seeking to earn a living and were forced into prostitution. Allsopp, together with Father Francisco de Asís Méndez, founded the Congregation of Las Trinitarias, a house with its doors open day and night to serve as a safe haven for these abandoned women.
Director Pablo Moreno explained that this is a film “about sisterhood, addressing a pressing issue—the scourge of modern slavery—that society refuses to confront.” In the process of developing the story, “the script was key,” he added, “focusing on the human elements, selecting the most important milestones in Allsopp’s biography, and then weaving a parallel narrative about two sisters who arrive in Madrid and represent the vast array of women who experienced those situations.”
The film stars Paula Iglesias, who approached the process of building the character with “great responsibility” given that she is portraying a real person. Through letters, her diary, and books, “I was able to get inside her thoughts and better understand the personal journey she went through. It was very moving to discover what the Trinitarias continue to do, and putting a face to these victims helped in the process.”
The film’s cast also includes Laura Contreras, Javier Godino, Carlos Iglesias, Assumpta Serna, and Arturo de la Torre, among others.
Teruel Conquered the West
In the official documentary competition section, “How We Conquered the West and Where It Led Us” will screen this afternoon at 7 p.m. at the Cervantes Cinema. The story of the people of Teruel who, in the early 20th century, emigrated to the United States in search of a better life.
A research project initiated by historian Raúl Ibáñez, whose narrative potential was discovered by Roberto Roldán and Jorge de Bautista. Directed by Elsa Tercero and written by Pilar Bellé, this documentary returns to Jabaloyas, the town from which many of these emigrants departed, and also crosses the Atlantic to film in Utah, Idaho, California, and Baja California, gathering testimonies from the descendants of these emigrants. Filming also took place at other locations in the province of Teruel, such as La Puebla de Valverde and Ojos Negros.
As explained by one of the documentary’s protagonists and a descendant of one of the emigrants, Fermín Yagües, “this audiovisual project has a very strong emotional component because they are the children and descendants of our relatives who emigrated to the United States. We’ve even brought together two families who didn’t know each other.” He also highlighted the contribution they made to the local economy, working in mines and as shepherds under very harsh conditions because “we had to support our families at any cost.”
The battle of las Eras
This morning, ‘La batalla de las eras’ was screened in the Aragonese Section. Written and directed by Pedro Aguaviva, the documentary focuses on a pivotal episode in the city’s defense during the early stages of the siege of Zaragoza in the War of Independence. The documentary delves into this confrontation to reconstruct not only the events, but also the context and the lives marked by the conflict. Blending historical reenactment with personal memory, the film paints a portrait of the resistance that foreshadowed the spirit that would define the entire siege.
For the director, it was a battle that “was a complete failure for the French army and a success for the people of Zaragoza, giving rise to the myth that they were capable of taking on large armies—even though it was a grave mistake that later had serious consequences.”
Panorama Saraqusta
In ‘Panorama Saraqusta‘ section, ‘Lady X’ (Fundación Ibercaja Patio de la Infanta, 5 p.m.) is scheduled, a Polish series based on the life of Lucyna Liss, a young woman who fled Poland to East Germany dreaming of freedom and living life on her own terms. Over time, she found herself in the spotlight of adult entertainment, appearing on magazine covers under the pseudonym “Lucy Love” and quickly rising to stardom. She went from being a magazine model and erotic film actress to a tough businesswoman and icon of 1980s German pop culture.
The series stars Anna Szymanczyk, a young Polish actress who has appeared in other works such as ‘Nothing More Than That,’ a film available on Netflix
Tomorrow, outdoor movie screening in Plaza del Pilar
The blockbuster film ‘Braveheart‘, directed by and starring Mel Gibson and winner of five Academy Awards, will be screened tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in the area around the Government Delegation office in Plaza del Pilar. Tickets are already sold out.
Tickets and passes at special prices
This year, the 15-euro pass includes, in addition to admission to the 10 screenings of the films in competition, access to the closing gala and the cocktail reception. They can be purchased through the festival’s website, saraqustafilmfestival.com. Individual tickets to view the films in competition are also available for 4.5 euros. The panel discussions, Aragonese documentaries, audiovisual presentations from ‘Panorama Saraqusta’, and special screenings will be free of charge until capacity is reached, subject to prior online reservation on the festival website.
About Saraqusta Film Festival
Saraqusta Film Festival is co-organized by the Zaragoza City Council and Cosmos Fan, with support from the Government of Aragon as an institutional partner, the Ibercaja Foundation as the main partner, and Carné Joven de Aragón, Aragón Alimentos, and Ara Film Fest as collaborators.