Lavapies is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Madrid, one of the few remaining in downtown. Its history is marked by the reception and organization of national and then international migrants. It is known as the UN of Madrid, 88 nationalities exist side-by-side there. It is famous for its political activity, associative activity and collaborative initiatives.
DOWNTOWN FOR SALE started 2 years ago with the invasion of flyers claiming “We buy your flat”. It happened in such a massive scale that we realized that they were not buying flats, they were buying the entire neighbourhood.
We spent more than a year shooting the streets, squares, bars and people. This is the story of the last mohicans of a neighbourhood. They organize and fight. They refuse to be the last generation that knows and lives in a neighbourhood.
Tourism and real estate speculation are the threat. They bring new inhabitants, gastrobars, contribute to rent rises impossible to afford, expelled people, closing of traditional shops. Suddenly this working class district that wasn’t even included in travel guides, becomes the new spot. Lavapies stopped being Lavapies to become LavaCool.
We spent time and lived with affected neighbours: Teresa, Paco, Piluka, Eduardo, more than 40 years living here; Bodegas Alfaro, Bodegas lo Máximo, bars with more than 80 years of history.
"I was born and I grew up here."
Mayo
"Now they sell you multi-cultural and diversity.... Well I tell you what, ¿who makes diversity? The people who live here, don´t they?"
Piluka
"This is a neighbourhood es barrio, they will not change that, they won’t be able."
Bruno
"This is Spain; flamenco, ole and bull fighter. ¡Well not! Spain has many more types of life, not only one."
Teresa
The Team
We are Paola and David.
I’m Paola, filmmaker and neighbour of Lavapies. I had to leave my flat and place that I´ve loved and lived in for 9 years. I met my people to talk and draw up this kind of “death foretold of the last neighbourhood in downtown Madrid”. An area of more than 600 years history.
Linkedin
Reel
And I’m David, script, producer, audio internship for need and interviewer for passion. I grew up in the suburbs of Paris and I’ve never felt what a neighbourhood is until I came to Madrid. I also saw in real time how downtown became all the same leaving Lavapiés as the only last traditional area in Madrid.
Linkedin
When we started the project we wanted to show Lavapies as an example of living together and collaborative initiatives.
But suddenly the story turned out to be another and we had no doubt that we had to show people what is happening to our cities and the importance to protect communities and identity downtown.
What will we do with your funds?
We started the production this documentary with our own means because we had no time to find financing and did not want to miss the crucial moment that Lavapies was living. Nowadays, Downtown for sale is a fully produced and edited 55 min documentary. But we still face one last step: post-production. With this, we will release DownTown for Sale.
Crowdfunding will be used for:
Color correction
Sound mix
Music
Graphics and Animations
Rewards
All the rewards have names of streets of Lavapies. And they are all thought to create a connection with its people.
We start at one euro because we know that for most people in Lavapies, every euro counts. All rewards are created from the heart and most of them include collaborations from neighbours and characters of the film.
Rewards don’t include delivery cost outside Madrid.
Events such as the private screening will take place in the neighbourhood and do not include travel and accommodation expenses. For any event outside Madrid please contact us before at [email protected]
Schedule
We plan to get the documentary ready for release in July. This will be the kick off for the period of rewards, from July the 10th to October the 10th.
We will contact you with all the details.
12 comments
If you are already a sponsor, please Log in to comment.
Paola
Author
Gracias vecino, amigas, amigos y amantes de los barrios !
emea
Gracias, de un vecino del barrio.
Bibi
Suerte amigos !!
iratxeperez
¡Mucha suerte con el proyecto! Espero que consigáis el 100% y salga adelante. Iratxe Pérez
lafraila
de parte de Fabri y la Martita
Spéri
Animo en la ultima linea recta!
Paola
Author
Gracias Isa, Ma Paula, Celine, Teatro del Barrio y San Dra por confiar y aportar feedback al proyecto.
San Dra
En el 2014 llegué por primera vez a Madrid y pocos meses después empecé a vivir en un lugar del que me enamoré: LAVAPIES, un lugar que siento propio, cercano, querido y que fue la razón para que decidiera volver a España y quedarme aquí. A miles de kilometros de "mi tierra", encontré "mi barrio" y hoy está en riesgo de desaparecer entre maletas de turistas, pisos de airbnb, negocios inmobiliarios y grandes comercios que están echando a los vecinos de toda la vida por las estrepitosas subidas de alquiler. Hace muchos años no tenía ese sentimiento de querer un lugar, menos un barrio, y hoy que tengo la oportunidad de hacerlo los quiero invitar a apoyar este proyecto, un documental que denuncia cómo grandes intereses económicos quieren pasar por encima de la historia y las personas de un barrio de más de 600 años que acoje a unas 80 nacionalidades y en el que los artistas y los movimientos sociales son el alma de sus calles.
Teatro del Barrio
El Teatro del Barrio somos parte de Lavapiés y creemos en la importancia de mantener el barrio como barrio. La convivencia pacífica de todas las vecinas de tantas nacionalidades es un valor que no queremos perder.
celine
Bonne chance David !!