University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
PH0998
Falkenberg, Paul
Spain in Exile film
1946
1 film reel (19 minutes, 700 feet);
sound, black and white ; 16mm
Collection materials are in
English.
A documentary
film concerning the living conditions of Spanish exiles in France after World
War II
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.
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.
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.
The original film is not accessible due to preservation concerns.
Arrangements can be made to view the film by contacting the Visual Materials
Curator.
Request at UW
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication.
Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for
details.
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.
Processed by Kelsey Novick and Kelly Burton, completed 2016.
Material Described Separately:
Bob Reed Papers
(Manuscript collection 3512)
Moving Image Collections (University of Washington)
Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
Falkenberg, Paul--Archives
Picasso, Pablo, 1881-1973
Reed, Bob, 1914-2005--Archives
Reynolds, Quentin James, 1902-1965
Zúñiga, Guillermo
Actualités françaises (Firm)
Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee
Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee
Unitarian Service Committee
Spain--History--Civil War, 1936-1939--Refugees
Nonfiction films
Short films
Sponsored films
Political refugees--France
Political refugees--Spain
Political refugees--France--History--20th century
Political refugees--Spain--History--20th century
Refugee camps--France--History--20th century
Moving Images
VC53
1
Spain in
Exile
1946
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