The Silence of Others

Eight decades have passed since the military coup d'état known as the Spanish Civil War, and four since the death of dictator Francisco Franco, but fierce battles over this dark legacy continue to be fought in Spain. Those responsible for crimes against humanity are protected by a controversial Amnesty Law. Relatives of executed leftists are unable to claim their remains from thousands of mass graves. Women seek acknowledgement of the babies who were stolen from them and given to loyalist families. Street signs and monuments memorialize torturers and butchers throughout the country. The Spanish government stubbornly adheres to a "Pact of Forgetting," but a determined group of lawyers, judges, grass-roots organizers, and aging but passionate victims fight for memory and justice. Painstakingly assembled over a period of seven years, this compelling documentary does a remarkable job of filling in the context of a complex movement while foregrounding the personal stories of individuals at the heart of the struggle. Executive produced by Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar. Winner of the 2019 Goya Award for Best Documentary Feature.