Screening of Hollywood contra Franco, followed by a Q&Awith Director Oriel Porta

Presented by the Department of Iberian and Latin American Cultures in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain

Hollywood contra Fraco (2008)

 “A war in Hollywood” (2008) Porta's latest production and his first experience as a feature film director. The film provides an original perspective on the role the USA and its film industry played during the Spanish Civil War and Franco´s dictatorship. By interviewing Hollywood celebrities and unveiling censored scenes from classic movies such as “Casablanca”, Porta tells us, in a non-traditional way, about the historical period and the political relations between the USA and Spain at that time. The film also follows the personal experience of writer and Abraham Lincoln Brigade veteranAlvah Bessie, offering insights into the conflict and making us reflect on what it means to live according to your ideals. “Hollywood contra Franco” is receiving worldwide recognition: it has participated in many international film festivals such as the International Film Festival of Mar del Plata, Argentina(2009) and the Film Festival of Montreal (2009). It has also been the recipient of several awards including Best Documentary at the International Independent Film and Video Festival in New York (2009) and 2nd prize at the Seminci of Valladolid, Spain (2008).

About the Director

Oriol Porta is a Spanish documentary director and producer as well as a cinema professor at the Ramón Llull University in Barcelona and at the ESCAC in Terrassa. He has produced news, reports, and advertisements for Spain’s major television networks. In recent years, he has been focusing in the co-production of international documentaries such as “Francisco Boix: a Photographer in Hell” (2000), “Orwell; Against the Tide” (2003), “Kenia and her Family” (2005), and “ Butterkinder” (2007).