Street Artist: Kenor

I wrote about the Barcelona street art exhibition, Las Calles Hablan, back in August last year. The funding drive for the exhibition was a huge success as was the exhibition itself. It showcased street artists and their work in Barcelona.

Las Calles Hablan documentary

Well finally, the much talked about Las Calles Hablan Barcelona street art documentary is available to watch online. This feature-length documentary about street art in Barcelona is… “a story about discovering a hidden world, an extraordinary subculture and the struggle between an artistic community painting for freedom of expression and an increasingly restrictive dogmatic government”.

This is excellent work and I know for a fact that the project grew in size while the film was being made. Thus the delay in bringing it to fruition. But the wait was worth it. For anyone interested in street art, and particularly its recognised place in the culture of a city, this is a must-watch. Read the rest of this article…

He’s done it again. This time at night. Midnight Barcelona is the new time-lapse film from Pau García Laita. I wrote about Summer Barcelona shortly after it was posted on Vimeo in October last year. I still watch it now and everyone I show it to loves it.

Midnight Barcelona is equally impressive. More fast-paced. With another fitting track, this time called Starscapes from American Dollar. This is Barcelona at night, looking and sounding great! I particularly like the scenes of the Magic Fountain, the office building, and the underpass along Passeig de Colom.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Pau is a freelance film-maker from Barcelona whose main interest is extreme sports filming. You can check out Pau’s other work on Vimeo or at www.paugarcialaita.com.

This video was uploaded to YouTube in March of this year (2013), so is a very recent attempt at increasing awareness of the Catalan plight around the world. Even at half an hour it’s very fast-paced and I had no trouble sticking with it. And though the text is sometimes difficult to read it plays like a film trailer with evocative music that keeps you gripped. I thought it a great potted history of the Catalan state from the year 988 to the present day. If you’re outside of Catalonia and you don’t know what all the fuss is about I suggest you give it a watch.

As the quote from Carl Sagan at the start reads, “you have to know the past to understand the present”. Read the rest of this article…

‘Saint George and the Dragon’ by Raphael (1505-1506)

I have written about La Diada de Sant Jordi before when I wrote about Valentine’s Day in Spain. But I thought I could expand on it a little this time around and mention a few other things that might interest you.

Many countries around the world have Saint George as their patron saint and most celebrate it on April 23rd (the accepted date of Saint George’s death in 303 AD).

Here in Catalonia (and a few other regions and cities in Spain) St. George is the patron saint too. And the Catalans certainly need little reason for a celebration. Read the rest of this article…

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: Read the rest of this article…