Documentary

The Last Brigadist is a documentary about Josep Almudéver’s life, one of the international brigadists that have participated in the Spanish Civil War, on the Republican side, and the only living one nowadays in the world.

In an intimate and personal way, the viewer will experience the feelings of seeing Josep telling his story, as well as, recalling his emotions from back then. Thus, the protagonist expresses in the first person one of the bloodiest and most difficult episodes in the Spanish history: the Civil War (1936-1939).

Almudéver didn’t hesitate for a second joining the Republican army, even if he was only 17. Still, as he was a minor, he had to forge his papers. Finally, despite this kind of difficulties, he reached the front.

In 1938, a shell hit the brigadist, seriously injuring him and forcing him to come back to València.

Even so, and taking advantage of his French nationality, he joined the International Brigades and fought until they were expelled from the Spanish conflict by the Non-Intervention Committee.

Later, Josep learned firsthand what it was like to be a prisoner in concentrations camps, such as the so-called Los Almendros, in Alacant, or the one in Albatera, as well as, in Porta-Coeli, La Modelo or Aranjuez prisons.

When he finally got free, he was compelled to exile in France.

Who are we?

We are a three-friend group, who studied the Audiovisual Communication licence in the Universitat Politècnica de València.

Our film producer is called Three Roots and it is integrated by Marina Fuertes, Carles Sànchez and Josep Aguado. Our society was born in 2016 from the idea of a former project with another film producer, Arrels Audiovisuals, with whom we used to collaborate.

During our university period, the three of us carried out several projects together. However, it was the success of our first piece, Arrels, Canyes i fang¸ that motivated us to continue to work together.

After that, we filmed Setmana Santa , a documentary awarded in the CIM (Cine Internacional de Mierda) in Sueca (València) and De raça albuferenca, another documentary for the association Falla Port de Silla (València). We also shot the album presentation concert by Ivan Brull, Canvi dels angels, as well as a documercial for the perfume company Jaromas, the Valencian Culture Conferences and a graphic report about El mercat de la terra in Xaló (Alacant).

Nowadays, we are working really hard in order to reach our goal: carry out this interesting, as well as necessary documentary.

Who else is contributing to this?

• Albert Forner: Cinema, TV and stage actor from Valencia. He has worked in several productions for Radio Televisió Valenciana, as well as in a national level. Forner will provide his well-known voice to use it as the voiceover in the documentary.
• Paco Roca and the Astiberri publishing house: Comic author with an extensive career in this profession. He has received many awards, such as the National Comic Award or the cinematographic Spanish award, Goya, for the best adapted screenplay for the film Arrugas. Roca and Astiberri collaborate with us providing a series of pictures from their graphic novel Los surcos del azar, in which it appears an episode experienced by Josep Almudéver.
• Josep Antich: Historian and Silla (València) official chronicler. Josep has helped us with the documentation part, providing us historical assessment and information about the chronological period treated during the documentary.
• La Raíz: Valencian band, internationally recognised, which transfers us the reproduction rights of one of their songs, Suya mi Guerra (Así en el cielo como en la selva, 2013). This song will be part of the documentary soundtrack.
• Ivan Brull: Valencian poet and songwriter, with three books of published, two of them, Cantaments and Sobre l’unicorn, awarded respectively with Premio Ciudad de Sagunto and Premio Ciudad de Catarroja. His song Tabula Rasa (Propietats medicinals, 2017) will be used for our project.
• Lourdes Frasquet Porta: Valencian translator and interpret, who will be translating the documentary into Spanish, French and English.

Where will be your contributions directed to?

Your contributions to the project will be directed to pay the collaborators, to pay for the Spanish Civil War footage (pictures, videos, documents), since it is not possible to accede to the most of it for free. Your contributions will be also used for the distribution and the marketing; for the crowfunding rewards, as well as for the production and the postproduction.

Rewards

About the rewards

• “Tickets for the premier (transport charges not included)”: The premier will be likely to take place in Gandia (València).

• “Appearance in the closing credits as co-producers”: copyright, as well as distribution and reproductive rights won’t be transferred. Name and surname will be appearing in the closing credits, along with the logo (in case there is one), as a co-producer, this is, as an executive producer.

• The rewards will be delivered within a maximum period of a month and a half start from the moment the project will be finished.

Schedule

• May 10th – June 27th: presentations about the documentary and its crowfunding around different towns and villages.

• June 28th – July 29th: gathering footage, organising meetings and finishing the shootings in Orihuela (Alacant), Paterna (València), Belchite (Zaragoza) and Pamiers (France), among others.

• July 30th – August 31st: video and sound final editing of the documentary.

• September 1st – October 15th: rewards delivery, distribution and marketing, presentation to the festivals, etc.

+ Info

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