Dinner / El Sopar (1974 Portabella), film (es) ESP

The film takes place on the night of the execution of militant anarchist Salvador Puig Antich by Franco's Spanish State. Using simple cinematic conventions, Portabella's documentary involves five former political prisoners gathered in a farmhouse to prepare dinner and discuss the problems with long prison terms.

Political provocateur Pere Portabella’s one-hour film gathers five political prisoners at an undisclosed location in the countryside. No one who appears in the film is named and none of the film crew are credited. It was shot while Francisco Franco was still in power, and people were understandably nervous about their involvement. But, over the course of one meal, what emerges is a riveting account of political censorship and the experience of incarceration for one’s beliefs. For all its simplicity, this filmed conversation is a revelation – a testament to people willing to suffer for a cause they believe in.

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