The Spanish civil war (1936-1939) was a monumental struggle of not only arms but of political ideologies and emotions.
How have films and newsreels portrayed the conflict during and since the 1930′s? Did the neutral stance of Britain and the United States correlate with the newsreels being shown to their citizens? How was art and entertainment combined with political vitriol and images of human suffering and heroism?
Analysis of Spanish Republican, Spanish Nationalist, Russian, French, American, German, Italian, and British Newsreels and Propaganda films; the portrayal of political factions, the Spanish home front, the bombing of Guernica/ the portrayal of aerial bombing, foreign participation, Women participants, public opinion, and the cinematic images of human misery and the denunciation of war. Discussion can also cover popular films made during the war (Spanish Earth, L’espoir, The Will of The People, Fury Over Spain), films made after the war (For Whom the Bell Tolls, Land and Freedom, Libertarias) and documentaries such as The Good Fight and The Spanish Civil War. Also of great interest are documentaries/films out of Spain which have had little exposure outside of Spain such as TV3 Catalunya’s: The Gold of Moscow, Operation Nikolai, and Trial 477. It is hoped that this discussion will add to a greater understanding of how the conflict was portrayed during and after the war, in turn shaping and polarizing public opinion worldwide.
