Barcelona, pending portrait

The undergound scene has always been a refuge for dissenters and the working class. A legacy that has shaped our city's history and that today seems forgotten.

“Barcelona, retrat pendent” it is a hybrid documentary between fiction and non-fiction that portrays Barcelona's most transgressive scene (cabaret, drag, and variety shows) at a time marked by gentrification and forgetfulness, the rise of the right, its effects on popular culture, artistic programming, and spaces for creation and resistance. The project also draws a parallel with the underground movement of the 1970s and the end of the Spanish dictatorship. Guided by the ghost of José Perez Ocaña, we rediscover the identity of a Barcelona in transformation, through the voices of the artists, cultural spaces, and neighbors who inhabit it, to question whether there is space for a new, underground, and rebellious generation.

This intimate and collective journey becomes a mirror reflecting the Barcelona of yesterday, today, and the one we can still bring to life. A film that doesn't seek a conclusion, but rather to reconnect with popular culture, historical memory, and the power of the neighborhood network. The result is an audiovisual format that dances between observational documentary, essay film, archival footage, and performative fictional reenactment.

A cry of, a collective hug, and a celebration of what, perhaps, still beats beneath the concrete. A curious, poetic, transgressive, and concerned gaze that will make us reflect on the possible outcomes of the underground scene and, with it, of the entire city.

The documentary, with an approximate runtime of 90 minutes, follows Jèssica Pulla through the streets of Barcelona, guided by the figure of Ocaña, portrayed by Lola Buzón tracing a living map of the artists who make up this network.

We put the body, the voice, and the camera at the service of a memory that still burns. It is a tribute that serves as a portrait-response to Ventura Pons's documentary Ocaña, Retrat Intermitent.

WE NEED YOU!

The money we raise during the campaign will be used to film the documentary's fiction segment (equipment rentals, transportation, per diems, unforeseen expenses, etc.), setting aside a small portion for costs related to the research conducted during pre-production (archival footage and historical consulting).

CALENDARI

The schedule will span from March 2026 (documentary filming) to September 2026 (fiction filming). We will be able to deliver the rewards in October-November 2026, during post-production and final stages of filming.

The premiere is scheduled for June 28, 2027, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ+ rights demonstration in Spain, which took place on Barcelona's Las Ramblas and was led by Ocaña, the transgender community, the Gay Liberation Front (FAG), and various allies.

WHO ARE WE?

• Aïda Soler Esteban (director and co-writer) - @aiida_soler

• Candela Díaz Sanz (producer) - @candelacandecan

• Jèssica Pulla (performer) - @socjessicapulla

• Lola Buzón (performer) - @lolabuzonactriz

• Marc Rosich (co-writer) - @rosichmarc

• Bibiana Güell (cinematography) - @bibirlibirloque

• Maria Ozonas (graphic design) - @mariaozonas

CONTRIBUTORS & FRIENDS

Torna Paral·lel, La Ravalada Drag Tour, Sarao Drag de Futuroa, Teatre Arnau, Antic Teatre, Ruïnosa y las Strippers de Rahola, Glòria Ribera, Flamenco Queer, Brigitta Lamoure, Cosima Carrà, Kelly Passa?!, Mon Chéri, Gaia Umbra, Faraonix King, Toi Boi crack de Sant Boi, Madame Hiroshima, Glaciar…

OUR GALLERY

TROBA'NS A

• INSTAGRAM: @bcnretratpendent

• YOUTUBE: Barcelona, retrat pendent