You cannot be left alone
Cecilia and José Juan Bartolomé. Spain, 1981. 93′
The first documentary on the Transition. The film was blocked by the Administration, a victim of shameful censorship that prevented its screening for years.
With camera slung over their shoulder and microphone on, the Bartolomé brothers set out to record testimonies from across the political spectrum of the time. We hear the recollections of ordinary citizens, the claims of various social groups, demands for local autonomy, and tensions arising from violent attacks by radical groups. All these voices break with the idea of a transition to a consensus-based democracy. To watch this extraordinary film is to understand where many of the problems in Spain today come from….
Cecilia Bartolomé (b. 1940) was the pioneer of Spanish feminist cinema: she always considered cinema as a free expressive medium to raise ideological debates, criticize the establishment, expose patriarchy and scandalize well-meaning audiences. Many of her films were censored and rendered invisible for decades.