Para ver el proyecto en ESPANOL por favor consulte la página web: [www.heidi-hassan.com/Espanol](http://www.heidi-hassan.com/Espanol.html)
Ce documentaire raconte l’épopée d’une famille cubaine de sept membres – toutes générations confondues – arrivée en Espagne à la suite d’un accord diplomatique et qui se retrouve à vivre à même la rue, sur la Place de la Province en plein cœur de Madrid. Au milieu de touristes et des passants, ils installent un campement de fortune en face du Ministère des Affaires Etrangères et exigent qu’on leur fournisse logement et travail comme le stipulaient les termes de l’accord.
Le film accompagne pendant cinq mois le fragile quotidien à ciel ouvert de cette famille. Dans une relation de proximité et confiance, il montre la confrontation brutale avec les réalités du système capitaliste occidental dont tous avaient pourtant rêvé, du déracinement qu’ils subissent, loin des références sociales et culturelles qu’ils avaient connu jusque-là.
Le film montre également l’indolence et irresponsabilité des autorités qui font la sourde oreille à leurs revendications pendant huit mois, mais aussi les tensions sous-jacentes de la cohabitation des membres de la famille dans des conditions si difficiles, leur positionnements parfois figés et maladroits, leur naïveté politique ainsi que leur prise de conscience de leur part de responsabilité face aux événements.
Mais c’est aussi l’histoire de la détermination d’une famille qui reste unie et digne face à l’adversité, de l’importance de chacun des membres dans le groupe, et surtout de l’opiniâtreté de la mère, Sabina, qui orchestre ce microcosme avec courage et autorité, parvenant à maintenir un cadre humain et maternant alors qu’il n’y a plus de repères.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This documentary tells the epic story of a Cuban family of seven- all generations mixed- who arrives in Spain on a diplomatic agreement and finds itself living in the streets, in the heart of Madrid. Amidst the tourists and passengers they build a makeshift camp in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and demand that the lodging and work stipulated in the agreement are given to them. The film follows the fragile unsheltered everyday life of this family for five months. In a relationship of trust and closeness, it shows the brutal confrontation with the realities of the Western capitalist system they all dreamt of, the displacement they undergo, far from the social and cultural references they knew until now.
The film also shows the laziness and irresponsibility of the authorities that don’t want to hear their demands during eight months, but also the underlying tensions of living together in such difficult conditions, their sometimes stubborn and awkward opinions, their political naiveté as well as their awareness of the responsibility they need to take in these events.
It is also the story of a family’s determination that remains united and dignified in the face of adversity, of the importance of each family member in the group, and especially, the obstinacy of the mother, Sabina, who orchestrates this microcosm with courage and authority, managing to keep a human and maternal environment even though all the references are gone.
CONTEXT
Between July 2010 and April 2011, about one hundred Cuban political prisoners arrived in Spain after an agreement signed by both countries. This agreement provided for the liberation of those prisoners in exchange of their immediate deportation to Spain with their families. Upon their arrival in the Iberian Peninsula, not all of the promises stated in the agreement could be kept. Indeed, Spain’s open immigration policies were severely affected by the economic crisis.
MY RELATIONSHIP TO THE PROJECT
Being Cuban myself and having lived in Switzerland for the last 10 years, I can identify with the immigrant’s condition and I pay a particular attention to the integration and adaptation processes of immigrants in general. I found the specific situation of these immigrants opposing the regime and finding themselves confronted to a «capitalist world» new to them especially interesting.
(For more information visit the website: www.heidi-hassan.com/english)
We need your help!
During five months, we followed very closely the everyday life of the Martins and collected 80 hours of rushes that witness this unusual experience. In order for the project to continue, we need financial support for the editing phase, which is crucial to the process of creation. This phase will last 3 – 4 months and that’s were the film will be constructed. Unfortunately without this support, the documentary won’t be able to be made and this story won’t be able to be shared.