Cannes Restores Spanish Civil War Film

André Malraux’s film Sierra de Teruel, shot during the Spanish Civil War, is being presented in a restored version at the Cannes Film Festival. Malraux, an intellectual and activist, aimed to mobilize European countries against fascism while filming under bombardment in 1938. Max Aub wrote the screenplay for the film, which depicts collective struggle against dictatorship.

France initially refused to screen the film to avoid upsetting Franco, and the Nazis ordered its destruction. However, Malraux successfully sent a copy to the Library of Congress in the United States. The film remained unseen in Spain until 1977, after Franco’s death.

Expert Antoni Cisteró notes that existing French copies were technically deficient and altered after the war. The restored version uses the original, uncut negative preserved in the US.

Cisteró also highlights the film's documentation of Malraux and Aub’s commitment to action during a tumultuous period, a message he believes remains relevant today. The work of restoring and understanding the historical context continues with the launch of Visorhistoria, a website dedicated to the film.