30 Years of Darkness

30 Years of Darkness is not a documentary about the Spanish Civil War. It goes further. It tells about the post-war years and in this sense it is not one of those documentaries that approach war. The worst thing about wars is not just their victims, but the consequences that they cause. 

After the end of the Civil War, Manuel Cortés, a former mayor of the town of Mijas in the province of Malaga, had no chance to escape from Spain. After a long and dangerous journey, he managed to get home at night without being discovered. His wife, Juliana, warned him of the numerous firing squads that were taking place in the village. So, they decided to open a small hole in the wall where Manuel could hide. Manuel Cortés could never have imagined that this small space behind the wall would become his personal prison for 30 years. This is the story of the so-called post-war moles who had to sacrifice an entire lifetime to escape repression.

30 Years of Darkness tells how war affects families, no matter what side they are on. The characters range from those who were clearly involved politically, to those who felt locked in the midst of a fratricidal struggle they did not understand. 30 Years of Darkness is, above all, a story of survival. In this sense it takes a universal look at a local issue.

Available on DVD from Amazon.