Spain in Exile film, 1946

Overview of the Collection

Film producer
Falkenberg, Paul
Title
Spain in Exile film
Dates
1946 (inclusive)
Quantity
1 film reel (19 minutes, 700 feet); sound, black and white ; 16mm
Collection Number
PH0998
Summary
A documentary film concerning the living conditions of Spanish exiles in France after World War II
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

The original film is not accessible due to preservation concerns. Arrangements can be made to view the film by contacting the Visual Materials Curator.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Paul Falkenberg (1903-1986), the writer and producer of Spain in Exile , began his film career in Germany in the 1920s, where he worked with notable directors of the era such as Fritz Lang and G.W. Pabst. Falkenberg emigrated to the United States in 1938, and eventually formed his own film production company. In addition to a 35-year career in documentary film production, Falkenberg also taught film classes for institutions such as Columbia University.

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

The Spanish Civil War took place from 1936 to 1939 and was fought between the Republicans, who were loyal to the democratic, left-leaning Second Spanish Republic, and the Nationalists, a group led by General Francisco Franco that embraced a fascist ideology. As a result of this conflict, half a million Spanish men, women and children crossed the borders of France as anti-fascist exiles. Despite the fact that many Spanish exiles fought alongside the French in World War II, the return to their adopted country after the conflict was often plagued by poor living conditions.

Presented by the Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee. Director: G. Zuniga. Photographers: L. Felix and I. Browning. Supervision: Julian Roffman in collaboration with Les Actualites Francaises and the Unitarian Service Committee in France. Writer/Producer: Paul Falkenberg. Narrator: Quentin Reynolds.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Spain in Exile chronicles the difficulties experienced by Spanish émigrés to France in the wake of the Spanish Civil War, and the film is largely concerned with the provision of shelter, food and other human services to anti-Fascists retreating from Spain. Newsreel footage and individual profiles of Spanish immigrants are complemented by descriptive voiceover narration. Footage of a meeting of the Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee features Pablo Picasso, the honorary chairman of the committee, as well as other notable exiles.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Bob (Robert Lee) Reed (1914-2005) donated Spain in Exile and a collection of papers in 1994. Reed fought in the Spanish Civil War with the Mackenzie-Papineau Batallion until December 1938, and he was on the City of Barcelona when it sank. He was an active member of the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, and from 1974-1978 he was the president of the Seattle chapter of the U.S. Committee for a Democratic Spain. Materials in the Reed papers primarily pertain to the Spanish Civil War and its ramifications, as well as to various veterans' groups and activities from the ensuing years.

Processing Note

Processed by Kelsey Novick and Kelly Burton, completed 2016.

Separated Materials

Material Described Separately:

Bob Reed Papers (Manuscript collection 3512)

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Container(s) Description Dates
viewcopy item
VC53 1 Spain in Exile
A narrator provides the background for documentary footage of the Spanish Civil War, with an emphasis on the mass exodus of émigrés to neighboring France. Spaniards assist in the war effort against Germany, both on the battlefield and in factories, and return to their adopted country at the conclusion of World War II. Narration and documentary footage further describe the poor living conditions afforded to Spanish exiles in postwar France, particulary as it pertains to food, shelter, clothing, and healthcare. Footage of a meeting of the Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee features Pablo Picasso, the honorary chairman of the committee. The film concludes with a call for assistance from those more fortunate in the world.
Original 1 film reel (19 minutes, 700 feet) : sound, black and white ; 16mm
1946

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Moving Image Collections (University of Washington)
  • Political refugees--France
  • Political refugees--France--History--20th century
  • Political refugees--Spain
  • Political refugees--Spain--History--20th century
  • Refugee camps--France--History--20th century
  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)

Personal Names

  • Falkenberg, Paul--Archives
  • Picasso, Pablo, 1881-1973
  • Reed, Bob, 1914-2005--Archives

Corporate Names

  • Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee

Geographical Names

  • Spain--History--Civil War, 1936-1939--Refugees

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Reynolds, Quentin James, 1902-1965 (narrator)
    • Zúñiga, Guillermo (film director.)
    Corporate Names
    • Actualités françaises (Firm) (presenter)
    • Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee (sponsoring body)
    • Unitarian Service Committee (presenter, $e publisher)