00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Alex First: The film EL47 chronicles the extraordinary
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 true story of Manola Vital, a bus
00:00:05 --> 00:00:08 driver whose courageous actions reshaped
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 Barcelona's public transportation system
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 during a pivotal period of Spanish history.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 In the 1950s and 60s, waves of
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 internal migrants from regions like
00:00:18 --> 00:00:21 Extremadura and Andalusia, including
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 Vital and his young daughter Joanna, found
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 themselves displaced and and seeking new
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 beginnings in Barcelona's outskirts,
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 specifically in a hillside area known as
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 Torre Barro. The film skillfully
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 depicts a remarkable aspect of that era's
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 housing crisis through a ah, peculiar legal
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 provision. Anyone who could construct
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 a shelter with a roof overnight would be
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 permitted to stay, while those failing to
00:00:46 --> 00:00:49 complete a roof would see their structures
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 demolished by dawn police patrols.
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 This policy led to the rapid emergence of a
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 makeshift community in 1958,
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 with Vital and fellow migrants racing against
00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 time to establish their precarious homes
00:01:03 --> 00:01:04 under the cover of darkness.
00:01:05 --> 00:01:08 Over the following two decades, Torre Baro
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 evolved into a tight knit community, though
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 one systematically overlooked by city
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 authorities and lacking basic
00:01:15 --> 00:01:18 infrastructure. The film's narrative
00:01:18 --> 00:01:21 gains additional complexity through Vital's
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 unexpected marriage to Carmen, a former nun
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 played by Klara Segura, who brings her own
00:01:26 --> 00:01:29 cultural dimension to the story. As a
00:01:29 --> 00:01:32 Catalan speaker, their relationship
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 represents the broader cultural integration
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 occurring within these immigrant communities.
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 The heart of the conflict centres on the
00:01:39 --> 00:01:40 community's isolation.
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 Despite Vital's long standing position as a
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 driver on bus route 47,
00:01:47 --> 00:01:49 Toribara residents, including his own family,
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 faced a daily struggle with no public
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 transportation access. The steep,
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 unpaved roads to their neighbourhood proved
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 too challenging for regular bus service,
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 forcing residents to undertake lengthy walks
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 to reach the city. Their repeated petitions
00:02:05 --> 00:02:08 for transportation services were consistently
00:02:08 --> 00:02:11 dismissed by local authorities. Despite
00:02:11 --> 00:02:14 Vital's persistent efforts to demonstrate the
00:02:14 --> 00:02:17 obvious need for expanded bus routes.
00:02:17 --> 00:02:20 Eduard Fernandez delivers a nuanced
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 performance as Manola Vital, portraying
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 him as an understated but principled man
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 who exhausts every conventional avenue
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 before taking the radical action that
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 ultimately leads to his arrest and
00:02:33 --> 00:02:36 conviction. The film carefully
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 builds tension through his transformation
00:02:38 --> 00:02:41 from a law abiding civil servant to a
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 community activist driven to extraordinary
00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 measures by bureaucratic indifference.
00:02:46 --> 00:02:49 The production masterfully integrates what
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 appears to be authentic historical footage
00:02:51 --> 00:02:54 with dramatic recreations, enhancing the
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 film's documentary feel while maintaining its
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 narrative flow. Klara Segura
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 brings depth and humanity to her role as
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 Carmen, whose evolution from nun to
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 teacher reflects the community's adaptability
00:03:08 --> 00:03:11 and resilience. Zoe Bonafonte's
00:03:11 --> 00:03:13 portrayal of the adult Joanna adds a younger
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 generation's perspective to the struggle,
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 culminating in a powerful musical performance
00:03:18 --> 00:03:21 that serves as the film's emotional capstone.
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 Co written by Alberto Marini and directed by
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 Marcel Barrena, EL47 has earned significant
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 critical acclaim, including five Goya
00:03:30 --> 00:03:33 Awards, Spain's highest film honours.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:35 While the narrative develops at a measured
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 pace, it maintains engagement through its
00:03:38 --> 00:03:41 authentic portrayal of community activism and
00:03:41 --> 00:03:44 social change. The film's impact is
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 amplified by its grounding in historical
00:03:46 --> 00:03:49 events, demonstrating how grassroots
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 movements can affect lasting change in urban
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 development and social services.
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 Through its careful attention to historical
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 detail and emotional authenticity,
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 EL47 preserves an important
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 chapter in Barcelona's social history
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 while delivering a, compelling narrative
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 about the power of community action and
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 perseverance in the face of institutional
00:04:12 --> 00:04:13 neglect.