La pelota vasca. La piel contra la piedra (2003)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Julio Medem

Writer:

Julio Medem (writer)

Release Date:

3 October 2003 (Spain)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

Documentary about the Basque nationalist movement in Spain. |

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Xabier Arzalluz	...	Himself
Bernardo Atxaga	...	Himself
Txiki Benegas	...	Himself
Txetxo Bengoetxea	...	Himself
Julen de Madariaga	...	Himself
Odón Elorza	...	Himself
Iñaki Gabilondo	...	Himself
Carlos Garaikoetxea	...	Himself
Anika Gil	...	Herself
Carmelo Gómez	...	Antonio (archive footage)
Felipe González	...	Himself
Juan José Ibarretxe	...	Himself
Fermín Muguruza	...	Himself
Gemma Nierga	...	Herself (archive footage)
Arnaldo Otegi	...	Himself
Gregorio Peces Barba	...	Himself
Alec Reid	...	Himself
Ana Torrent	...	Yoyes (archive footage)

Also Known As:

Euskal pilota. Larrua harriaren kontra (Spain: Basque title)
The Basque Ball: Skin Against Stone (USA)
La pelote basque, la peau contre la pierre (France) [fr]

Runtime:

Spain:110 min | Spain:417 min (extended version)

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish | Basque | English | French

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Spain:T

Company:

Alicia Produce

Movie Connections:

Features Pelota (1983)

Pais Basque, Basque Country, Vascongada = EUSKADI

Julio Medem's 'La Pelota Vasca' is a documentary type of film, basically formed by a series of interviews interspersed by scenes of Euskadi's countryside, and using scenes of the national sport - 'pelota' (literally 'ball) - merely as a vehicle which drives one through the different sequences. The original shorter version as shown in cinemas here is a little under two hours long, whereas the full work is of about four and a half hours duration and would seem to be aimed at television viewers, especially in Euskadi (Basque Country).

Plentiful archive footage is used, for example the notorious bombing of Gernika (Guernica) by the German 'Condor' squadrons in 1937. The persons interviewed are mostly politicians, ex-activists of ETA, sociologists, historians and musicians from Euskadi.

The raison d'etre of this programme resides in whether Euskadi should be an independent state. Now this is a triple thorny question: Euskadi is formed by seven provinces, three in France (Iparralde), three in Spain (Euskadi), as well as the province of Navarra. Collectively the nationalists refer to these seven provinces as 'Euskalerría' The province of Navarra has repeatedly told Basque Nationalists to keep the ancient kingdom of Pamplona out of their arguments for independence.

Justly so, as only the extreme north and north west of this province speak 'euskera', and the rest, about 75% of the province, have no part nor interest in 'the Basque Question'. The three provinces which form Euskadi in Spain are Álava (Araba), Bizkaya and Gipúzkoa, and total a little more than two million people. Even in most of Álava the people do not speak and have never spoken 'euskera', and the greater part of the province is broken in half by a large area called the 'County of Treviño' which belongs to Castilla-León.

Ever since the death of Franco, when Spain miraculously emerged from a forty year dictatorship and gained a parliamentary democracy, the central government in Madrid has given more and more autonomy to the diverse regions of Spain, what might be called 'decentralization'. This has happened gradually over the years, according to the needs and demands of each autonomous region. I myself live in the smallest autonomous region of Spain, with barely a quarter of a million inhabitants. It is 'sandwiched' between Castilla-León, Aragón, Navarra and .......... Euskadi. For many years a small town in this province was the capital of the Kingdom of Navarra, and there are many villages with Basque names. Such is the multiplicity of historical and modern Spain. Indeed there is much historical influence in both Cantabria and Asturias, where Basque peoples settled, especially in the 19th Century.

Thus, today, the 17 autonomous regions of Spain enjoy a great deal of self-rule, and some enjoy even more autonomous gains, namely Catalonia and Euskadi. That is fine by me: the more self-rule the diverse regions of Spain can enjoy, the better. However, from there to becoming separated and independent of the Spanish nation, one must begin to raise arguments against. And by bombing people so as to achieve such ambitions, one can only say 'no way'.

In this documentary film Arzallus shows what he has always been: a thoroughbred racist; even Julen de Madariaga falls to this level of iniquity - making sure that Julio Medem erred greatly in making this sociological introspection go off course. Fie, my man, you should have known better. Including the 'Batasuná' leader Arnaldo Otegi only adds insult to injury. He even wants to expel from Euskadi people who originally came from other parts of Spain back in the 1960's. He is a detestable sort, and I have never understood why Garzón (a Supreme Court Judge) did not have him behind bars ten or twelve years ago. People who are not 'pure' Basques are even called 'foreigners'! And 'euskera' is obligatory in all schools, even in areas where this language has never been used in ordinary life. Imposition of ideology - whether religious or political - can never be democratic; and this is what ETA and the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) seem to want. So much so, that Juan Ibarretxe, present 'lehendakari' (Basque president) wants to carry out an illegal referendum. I much fancy that the whole plan will backfire and blow up in his own face.

I am a great lover of the Basque country: living on their southern doorstep I greatly enjoy my frequent incursions into Euskadi. The people are friendly, good level of education and culture, very open. I hop in and out of San Sebastián, for example, at frequent intervals. I drive and walk around their villages and hills; it is an extremely attractive part of the world and Spain. I have records of Basque music - Guridi, Juan Chrisostomo Arriaga, etc. - and frequently put the Basque TV network's programmes (EITB) on my TV. Wherever you may go, Euskadi is an enormous delight, wonderful, something you will appreciate forever.

But from this to bidding my northern neighbors 'adios', from this to a referendum for independence, I am very sorry: no go. And I am equally sorry that such an excellent director as Julio Medem should have been moved (manipulated?) into making this apologetic and shameful piece.