When the Mountain Rumbles (El día que volaron la montaña)
Three ageing brothers must face an uncertain future and the inevitable end to years of self-imposed isolation as the abandoned village of Escó in Spain, where they have lived all their lives, faces its second threat of extinction.
Interview with Director Alba Bresolí
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Because of the unique story of the main protagonists of the film, the Guallar brothers. In 1959, during Franco’s dictatorship, the inhabitants of the Spanish village Escó were ordered to evacuate to make way for the construction of a reservoir in the Pyrenees. One father with three sons simply refused to go. The three now-aging brothers still live in the village, isolated among the ruins where they tend their herd of sheep. Time has stood still here for decades, but now the government intends to build a motorway that will pass right through the area.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Because it shows you a way of life that is quickly disappearing in our globalized world.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The life experiences of the Guallar brothers refer us to universal problems such as the fear of losing your home, sense of belonging, fear of becoming old and loneliness.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script evolved and changed as we got to know more about the protagonists, the Guallar brothers. The fact of spending time with them and discovering the routes they shepherded, the difficulties of living in isolation, and the fear of change, allowed us to be closer to the story and understand better the conflict of the film.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback had been great and wonderful so far. We showed the film at many European film festivals such as IDFA (Best of Fests), Sheffield DocFest or IndieLisboa. It is great to feel that so many people and festivals appreciated the story and get to know it. It is necessary to show how the Spanish rural world is every time more precarious because of the loss of interest of the Government for the people who live there, their environment and their collective history.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It gave me more strength to continue telling these stories. Most of the time unknown.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Give more visibility to the short and find professionals who are interested in it, in my work and maybe with who I could collaborate in the future.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Buyers, Film Festival Directors and Journalists
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would like to have the biggest impact. Now it premiered at Big Sky but it would be great to show it in more places around America, Asia, and Latinoamérica.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Where is our society going? Are we capable of forgetting our rural past in exchange for this globalized world we live in?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am developing (first development) my first feature documentary about my childhood in the house that my parents built, in the middle of the forest. The legends of the place, the people who died there, and the magical beings I believed in as a child are mixed with the present emptiness and ruins.
Interview: January 2023
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
When the Mountain Rumbles (El día que volaron la montaña)
Three ageing brothers must face an uncertain future and the inevitable end to years of self-imposed isolation as the abandoned village of Escó in Spain, where they have lived all their lives, faces its second threat of extinction.
Length: 28:00
Director: Alba Bresolí
Producer: Carles Brugueras / Chloé Atkinson / Marieke van den Bersselaar
Writer: Laia Manresa / Alba Bresolí
About the writer, director and producer:
ALBA BRESOLI (1995) is a documentary filmmaker based in Barcelona. She studied Media & Arts at Bauhaus and a master's degree in Creative Documentary filmmaking at UPF, Barcelona. Since 2021 she has been part of the programming team at DOCSBarcelona. She collaborates with Cinema en curs, an international film education project where she has led film workshops. Her third short film documentary When the Mountain Rumbles produced by Polar Star Films had been screened at international film festivals such as IDFA, Sheffield Docfest, and Indielisboa, among many others.
Polar Star Films is an independent film and television production company based in Barcelona and established in 1997. We specialise in feature-length documentary and fiction film productions, digital content and advertising.
Looking for: film festival directors, sales agents, buyers, distributors and journalists
Instagram: @bbbreso, @polarstarfilms
Website: www.polarstarfilms.com/en/portfolio/when-the-mountain-rumbles
Other: IMDb
Funders: ICEC, ICAA
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
FIPADOC