NOTES
*Long synopsis
*About HD
*His sisters
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When the project for the film was put to us, we got together to talk about. Right from the outset it was clear that it would be difficult for all of us to agree. Two of us were more or less in favour and the other two more or less against and as both sides had its arguments for and against we debated for a good while as sisters tend to do. One imagined what our brother would think about it and thought she heard him say: "Girls, you've lost the plot!" For another it was painful to relive the whole story and be the centre of attention, which we were reluctant to do. For another the whole idea, with everything it would entail was just too much. We were terribly conscious of how the process could affect for good or for bad the other principal players in the story (MIL militants, friends, and many others) and how they would be portrayed in the film. We would like to point out that in the reasons for saying "no", at no time did we take into account any arguments of an ideological nature and whether the image given of the conviction or activism of MIL members would be affected or even the current relevance of some of the ideas from the 1970's. There are other people much more expert in the subject.
Our goal right from the start, as a family forced to live through the tragedy and with the support of the vast majority of society in general, was to seek justice for our brother after he was condemned to death following a trial which was nothing but a farce. It was as simple as that. For thirty two years we have had to remain firm in the conviction that one day we will get what we want. When that day arrives we can leave behind the numerous commemorative events to raise the profile of Salvador's case we've attended since 1974. The times we've got so nervous because we were due to appear on television to try explain exactly what happened, long radio interviews, anniversaries (the tenth, the twentieth, the twenty-fifth, the thirtieth..) when journalists left us dizzy with requests, book presentations, attending acts where they talked about Salvador... Obviously, we've done everything for him and we're not about to throw in the towel now.
Fortunately, over the years we've found immeasurable support. We've been the beneficiaries of the love, support and encouragement of so many people that it would be impossible to name them all. We will always be eternally grateful. We've also received the support of certain political parties who backed a motion in the Catalan Parliament to fund a team of lawyers to take our case to the highest court in the land. This process is now in progress and we are hopeful that it will bring the results we believe the case deserves.
We believe that the arguments we've laid out here, despite a certain hesitation on our part, explain why we finally decided to support the making of this film. Bringing Salvador's story to a wider audience is one more element in the process which got underway thirty-two years ago: to keep the memory alive and to inform current generations of the events that led to his murder. There were also other powerful reasons to support the project. We wanted at all costs to avoid the film Salvador falling into the hands of any old producer who lacked our trust. We didn't want a scrupulous script-writer to mistreat or falsify the subject matter for their own ends. The film will contribute to publicizing a part of the history of this country which took place in a period of great tumult; there are many other cases such as Salvador's that have yet to receive a satisfactory resolution from a democracy that claims to have put in place the mechanisms to provide justice and compensation for the great number of crimes committed during the previous regime.
Our yes is a result of the trust that Jaume Roures, Lluís Arcarazo, Manuel Huerga, and Lluís Llach engender. How could we say no with all these people, who long before the project had already generously given us their support? A special mention to Francesc Escribano, the author of 'Cuenta atrás', the book on which the screenplay is based. His friendship and advice were decisive. In addition to the encouragement he gave us, he guaranteed that, because he also felt part of the project, that the final product would be worthy of our support. Right from that first exchange of opinions we were anxious to make sure that certain conditions would be met: "We don't want Salvador to be converted into a hero because he was a young man just like many others; we don't want the impression to be given that Salvador was an innocent martyr because he was always conscious of his acts; we don't want Salvador to be presented as a good boy led astray by certain bad influences; we don't want the most dramatic moments to be depicted with morbid curiosity because we experienced them powerless to do anything, full of rage, desperate at times but with dignity…".
These were all things we'd talked about and we were convinced that they would permeate the script and reach the management team and the actors and actresses. We spoke to them on many occasions, they showed us the first drafts, and we suggested things, made some changes, as well as letting the professionals get on with their job. We appreciated that they had to make a film that would stand on its own, an intelligible story, with pace, tension and constant question marks…But that wasn't our work.
As with all aspects related to the film, as the shooting progressed, the contact with the film crew, actors and actresses included and others involved was always very friendly. It was as if the idea of Salvador filled everybody with affection and generated nothing but vivid and powerful feelings.
In this respect, we know we haven't made a mistake. After seeing the film, we're convinced that our conditions have been met: it doesn't portray our brother as a martyr or a hero but at the same time doesn't try to sell the idea that he was a complete innocent. We believe that the events are appropriately contextualized in the Franco years, when fear was part and parcel of every day life for people in Spain.
The impact that Salvador could have on a large number of cinemagoers could give you an idea of what we lived through and have continued to face since that fateful 2nd March 1974. We remember our brother every day and we ask whoever wishes to listen to realize that his death came as a consequence of a fateful historical context and a judicial system that was based on anything but justice.
In 1974 for many it was clear that a massive injustice had been perpetrated, the Franco regime had demonstrated its cruelty once again. But Franco died in bed, the political transition collectively forgot and the democrats were too busy organizing a new society founded on the premise of wiping the slate clean, as if nothing had happened and as if the previous regime had not been behind countless crimes, almost as if some of these new democrats had too been tainted with blood. It's for these reasons that in the end we had little difficulty supporting the project and that's why we're still fighting for what we believe should be resolved: the legal recognition of the injustice that was committed to Salvador and also to us and the rest of his family.
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