Rubén Hornillo’s film is a cinematic essay in which he discusses the plight of millions of young Spaniards who have migrated to other countries due to lack of opportunity in Spain following the worldwide economic crash of 2008. An expatriate himself, Hornillo integrates his own story—shown via home movies, dramatic re-enactments, and occasional animation—into interviews that he conducts with analysts back in Spain and others who have gone abroad (Hornillo himself ultimately landed in Los Angeles, where he studied film). The premise here is that the word "exile" is properly applied not only to political refugees but also to those who leave because of governmental policies that fail to deal with high unemployment. Hornillo devotes much of his narrative to Spanish politics, offering a rather strident chronological survey of the struggle between the center-conservative People’s Party—whose austerity-based approach has, in his view, exacerbated Spain’s problems by favoring the wealthy—and the liberal (or radical) Podemos Party, which Hornillo and most of his friends prefer but are often prevented from casting ballots for due to draconian requirements regarding expatriate voting. The Spanish political discussion tends to be generally more compelling than Hornillo’s very detailed coverage of the myriad troubles that he and his girlfriend have had to overcome in California. Although meant to illuminate the larger subject, this personal material ultimately distracts. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Spanish Exile: A Story of the Lost Generation
(2017) 74 min. In Spanish w/English subtitles. DVD: $200. Yo Creo Content (avail. from (www.spanishexile.eu/en). PPR. Volume 33, Issue 5
Spanish Exile: A Story of the Lost Generation
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