Julia Newman's stirring documentary fills a void in the film history of the Spanish Civil War by profiling the role of approximately 80 American women in the volunteer Abraham Lincoln Brigade who traveled across the Atlantic to join Spain's Republican forces in their fight against Franco's fascist troops (who were backed by the financial and military might of Hitler and Mussolini), ultimately serving as nurses, drivers, and frontline journalists while putting their lives at great risk to aid the cause of Spanish democracy. Combining rare newsreel footage, personal letters and photographs, and interviews with many of the survivors, Into the Fire serves up an astonishing portrait of these committed women (the vast majority of the volunteers, it appears, were middle-class white women, but for African-American nurse Salaria Kea, the Spanish campaign provided a sense of genuine social freedom that stood in direct contrast to her stateside experiences). The film points out that the women were briefly celebrities at home (First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and writer Dorothy Parker spoke out on their behalf), but also shows how quickly their achievements were forgotten by a country that sank further into isolationism as war clouds gathered over Europe. DVD extras include the bonus short “Archives of Activism,” a timeline, and a photo gallery. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Into the Fire: American Women in the Spanish Civil War
(2002) 58 min. DVD: $24.95. First Run Features (avail. from most distributors). Volume 22, Issue 4
Into the Fire: American Women in the Spanish Civil War
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