Spain’s Secret Conflict

The documentary, Spain’s Secret Conflict, was made back in 2009 yet recently was the first time I’d seen it. It’s one of the most concise explanations of the conflict between Catalonia and Spain that I’ve seen. Even if it’s not so secret a conflict any longer.

Gary Gibson’s 40 minute documentary starts during the Independence Poll in Arenys de Munt in September 2009. The first poll of it’s kind in Catalonia, this symbolic poll went ahead despite being banned by Madrid and picketed by the far right-wing Falange.

As Gibson says at the end of the documentary…

“Through these polls the Catalans are sending a clear message to Spain: for 300 years we have had to listen to you and do what you tell us. Now this is what we have to say.”

I wouldn’t say this is a completely one-sided documentary (though it is clearly pro-Catalan). There are personalities interviewed from both sides including:

• Oriol Junqueras (Catalan historian and former member of the European Parliament)
• José María Alfredo Aznar (former Prime Minister of Spain)
• Josep Maria Solé i Sabaté (Catalan historian)
• Jordi Pujol (former President of Catalonia)
• Matthew Tree (writer in English and Catalan)
• Federico Jiménez Losantos (Spanish radio talk show host)
• Encarnación Valenzuela (Spanish journalist)
• Josep-Lluís Carod-Rovira (former Vice-President of the Catalan Government)
• Paul Preston (British historian and Hispanist)
• Joan Rosell (President of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations)
• Alfonso Guerra (former Vice-President of Spain)
• Jaime Pastor (Spanish historian and Professor of Political Theory)
• Fernando Sánchez Dragó (Spanish writer)
• Alfons López Tena (Member of the Parliament of Catalonia)

This documentary is a ‘must see’ for anyone unfamiliar with the root causes of the Spanish and Catalan conflict and the views of both sides.

Spain’s Secret Conflict: A documentary about the Catalan conflict in Spain

Further views on Spain’s Secret Conflict

I really do encourage you to read the two articles underneath as well. Especially the second from the Cataloniawatch website.

• For: www.depepi.com/2011/05/spains-secret-conflict
• Against: cataloniawatch.blogspot.com.es/2011/07/spanification-of-eduard-punset.html

What do you think of the film? Catalan propaganda or a fair picture of the conflict to date? Let me know in the comments.