ONLINE streaming giant Netflix is giving a world audience to the conflict between Catalonia and Spain with the premiere of a documentary that examines what it describes as “one of the most complex elections in modern democratic history”.
Dos Cataluñas (Two Catalonias), which is released at the end of this month, has been co-directed by Gerardo Olivares and Álvaro Longoria, and is aimed at investigating the untold story surrounding last October’s independence referendum and its aftermath, including the subsequent general election and declaration of independence.
“We realised that what was happening was not being told, there was a lot of manipulation and simplification,” said Longoria.
The film, which runs for almost two hours, features more than 80 interviews with key players in the Catalan political arena – pro-indy, pro-union and everything in-between. They include former president Carles Puigdemont, leader of the Citizens Party Inés Arrimadas, former foreign minister Raül Romeva and Ada Colau, Mayor of Barcelona.
The documentary team accompanied the candidates as they travelled through Catalonia, Brussels, and even Estremera prison, where some pro-independence figures – who are still in jail – were initially incarcerated.
They also wanted to interview the imprisoned politicians, but despite their efforts, they said it was “impossible”.
However, some of those interviewed in Dos Cataluñas are in pre-trial detention for their role in the independence drive, such as Catalan MP Jordi Turull.
The team tried to speak to Soraya Sáenz de Santamaria, the former Spanish vice-president and a strident supporter of direct rule in Catalonia, but they received no response to their requests.
Dos Cataluñas takes viewers behind the scenes at political rallies and the candidates’ private moments during the campaign, as well as on election night.
The film has a potential audience of 130 million viewers on Netflix and has been translated into more than 40 languages.
Neither director is Catalan – Olivares was born in Cordoba, Longoria in Santander – nor do they consider themselves Spanish.
Longoria said: “ We have made a great effort to include all points of view and we have managed not to indoctrinate.
Olivares added: “There is a social fracture that forces you to choose one side or the other. This is not well seen from a neutral point of view.”
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