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Ciudad Sin Sueño

The images that a young gypsy boy films on his phone reveal his desire to abandon his community.

synopsis

La Cañada, on the outskirts of Madrid, is one of the largest illegal settlements in Europe. Ramon, a 12-year-old gypsy boy has always lived there, part of a family with a strong sense of belonging to the community. He sees his surroundings as if it was a mysterious sci-fi setting of the future, filming it through his mobile phone. Ramon’s family is notified that their house is to be demolished. For the first time, Ramon sees a real chance to leave La Cañada behind, unleashing a hidden desire to live a life different from that of his parents, who will do anything to prevent the eviction. Ramon’s images shift from a journey to the future to a reflection of his present: they reveal a new vision of his universe and himself, offering him a chance to change his family’s path.

Director’statement

Through Ramon’s eyes, I want to portray a community with which I have a deep bond. I got to know La Cañada six years ago when I was researching the eviction process in Spain after the 2008 economic crisis for my first film. I am now a part of this community, teaching cinema to young people and witnessing many stories. All of them have a common thread: the dilemma of either putting down roots or abandoning La Cañada. This dilemma is in Ramon: curious, nonconforming and loyal. His loyalty to his family is called into question when the alluring and unattainable world outside La Cañada knocks at his door. I seek to explore family relationships and how identity is forged in a displaced world, isolated by a system that sows discord between its inhabitants and within families themselves; a Tower of Babel of cultures midway between rural and urban, natural and magical, about to fade away. This world is a character itself in Ramon’s film; its images mature, as he does, by leaps and bounds.

TFL PROGRAMME:
ScriptLab 2020
Discover more details here:
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TFL Catalogue 2020

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