The Rock

(La roca)
Raúl Santos | Documentary

2011 | 70 minutes | Spain

Despite being declared enemies by their countries, people in the Rock of Gibraltar and La Linea depended on each other, got married, and lived with their bilingual children. But Franco’s decision to close entrance to the British territory forced the separation of thousands of mixed families.

Synopsis

In 1969, Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, closed the entrance to the British territory of Gibraltar, isolating 30,000 people without food, water, or telephone lines. In his words, “The Rock will fall like ripe fruit.”

The Rock (La Roca) is an epic Romeo & Juliet-type love story between the massive Rock of Gibraltar and its neighboring Spanish city of La Línea. Despite being declared enemies by their countries, the people of both cities depended on each other, got married, and lived happily with their bilingual children. They used to be inseparable.

Eventually, indoctrination on both sides and Franco’s sudden decision forced the separation of thousands of mixed families. Over 13 years, families met at the border every Sunday to look through binoculars at their estranged lovers, brothers, parents, and babies – screaming, “Daddy loves you” from a distance.

How could this happen? What is the story behind this tragedy?

Franco is now dead but the pain caused by the closing of the gates scarred the population for life. Gibraltar and La Línea have never gone back to their initial love and the area still seethes with tension.

Reviews

"La Roca examines the relationship between the British territory of Gibraltar and the nearby Spanish community of La Linea...A sad, thought-provoking film, this is recommended." — M. Puffer-Rothenberg, Video Librarian

"This film has gone beyond all expectations of the audience and critics... an excellent cinematographic piece... a load of conflicting emotions that lead to laughter, sadness and yearning." — Juan José González, Europa Sur

"Thrilling, very thrilling... if there is anything we can learn from this documentary it's that the people should not pay for the mistakes of their rulers. Our children should watch this." — Carmen González, Cadena Ser

"The lucky viewers of La Roca enjoyed filmmaking in bold letters thanks to this magnificent documentary..." — Miguel Olid, ABC

"I fell in love with Pepa, the old lady who serves as the backbone of this choral story about forced uprootedness. Although real and human, she looks like a character of good magical realism." — Juan Carlos Soriano, Documentos RNE

Citation
Main credits

Santos, Raúl (film director)

Other credits

Cinematographer, Carlos García de Dios; editor, Raúl Santos; music, Miguel Torres.


Citation
Cataloging
Keywords
La Linea, Gibraltar, Franco, british territory, border, family, spanish, spanish language, latin america, latin american cinema, latin american film, ibero america, latin, latinx, latino, latina,culture, identity, identity politics, culture wars, left wing, right wing, intersectionality, identity groups, civilization, literacy, humanism, cancel culture, online culture, cultural revolution, cultural diffusion, culture shock, popular culture, pop culture, material culture, cultural capital, cultural assimilation ,anthropologically, cultural anthropology, forensic anthropology, anthropologist, human nature, physical anthropology, ethnocentric, ethnography, functionalism, cultures, societies, human people, human society, functionalism, globalization, ideology, pragmatism, dogmatism, social change, society,history, context, narrative, past, chronicle, lore, annals, historic, personal history, archive, record, saga, biography, memoir, study,human rights, public rights, equal rights, freedom of expression, basic human rights, united nations, activism, human rights activism, human rights council, human rights commission, universal human rights, universal rights,international relations, global relations, global studies, international studies, international affairs, intercontinental relations, intercontinental studies, foreign studies, foreign relations, national relations, national studies, cross-continental studies, cross-continental relations,political science, micropolitics, macropolitics, political theory, political education, political movements, political thinking, political criticism, poly sci, polysci, political sci, political sciences, political history, history of politics, political systems,authority, authoritarianism, dictatorship, military regime, military government, fascism, repression, oppression, political oppression, political repression, far right, far right wing, modern fascism,iberian studies, iberian peninsula, mediterranean, andorra, spain, portugal, andorra studies, spanish studies, portuguese studies,family, kin, fellowship, household, immediate family, extended family, multigenerational family, multigenerational household, kinfolk, family tree, genealogy, nuclear family, modern family, family tree,migration studies, migrant studies, immigration studies, refugee studies, diaspora studies, resettlement studies, settlement studies, migration, migrant, immigration, refugee, diaspora, resettlement, settlement, refugees, international migration, continental migration, resettling, settlers, settler, migrant, migrant studies, first generation immigrant, first generation immigration, new americans, new spaniards,spain,gibraltar,Spanish documentaries,gibralta,the rock the isolation,modern spain,Movies from Spain,The Rock spain,Escape from Dannemora,films from spain,jamon jamon,documentaries spain,postcards from the edge,from nowhere,rock,History Germany,history,the history of,Faulkner Franco,europa,Spain AND "civil war",spain history,Viva la muerte,spain jews,From Stones to Bronze: Prehistoric Spain,Jugend rettet,documentaries,spanish,Jacqueline Olive,flamenco,European films,spain politics,the other spain,seville,comedies in spanish,spain immigration,mistery movies,3612671,bullfighting spain,spain episode 10,golden age of spain,The Rock,Beatles,the history of spain,borders,la roca; Culture + Identity, Human Rights, Ibero American Modern History, International Politics; "The Rock"; Pragda,doc; history
Clips
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Festivals

Seville European Film Festival - Golden Giraldillo for Best European Documentary
Atlántida Film Festival - Special Mention from the Jury
Saratov Sufferings International Film Festival Russia - Special Audience Award
Andalusian Cinema Awards; Brooklyn Film Festival
Festival de Cine Español de Málaga

DIRECTOR: Raúl Santos

NATIONALITY: Spain

YEAR: 2011

GENRE: Documentary

LANGUAGE: Spanish

COLOR / B&W: Color

GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adults

SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE

AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE

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