21/12/2006
Vitoria-Gasteiz, 21 December 2006.
The end of the Civil War in Vitoria, the ceremonies and official acts
in the Old Cathedral, the defeat in the plaza de Abastos and the
construction of Plaza de Los Fueros with the presence of Eduardo
Chillida, an afternoon of bulls with Manuel Benítez
“El Cordobés”, the first emigrants
leaving for Germany, the beginning of industrial estates and the
activities of factories in the city...
These are just a few examples of the moments, stories and experiences
told in the “Vitoria-Gasteiz, la vida filmada”, a
compilation of previously unseen film materials comprising an
audiovisual memoir of the Álava capital during the last
century. The exhibition will be on show at Espacio Ciudad (C/ San
Prudencio, 30), from 21 December until 28 January.
The “Vitoria-Gasteiz, la vida filmada” exhibition
is part of a much larger project based on the concept of
“Visual Archaeology” that centers on the Santa
María Cathedral restoration project. The search for
audiovisual documents about the old Vitoria church has opened the doors
to a complete chronicle of Vitoria-Gasteiz and its people in the last
century through amateur film, which in many cases form part of family
albums.
The research, recovery and preservation of all the materials has been
made possible because of a collaborative agreement between
Vitoria-Gasteiz Town Hall and the Santa María Cathedral
Foundation.
The “Vitoria-Gasteiz, la vida filmada” exhibition
is directed by journalist Antxon Urrosolo, who since 1989 has been
researching and restoring previously unseen super 8 mm, 9.5 mm and 16
mm amateur and family film recorded taken from the 1920s onwards.
The material recovered is very valuable as an unofficial history of the
capital of Álava, a chronicle where there is room for themes
as varied as scenes of daily, family and social life, memories, nooks
and crannies of the city; school and work; leisure, summers and
journeys; beliefs, popular traditions, customs and fiestas; sport,
fashion, music… ; and endless events, captured by the first
cine cameras to arrive in the city.
This is, therefore, a memoir of the city told through the frames shot
by amateur film-makers of Vitoria and Álava who captured the
truth of their time, a homage of recognition to amateur film makers,
ochistas (users of 8 mm) and súper-ochistas (users of super
8 mm film) who started the so-called “Vitoria
group” in the 50s and 60s.
Among these pioneers of amateur documentaries there are many types of
Vitoria film-makers. There are merchants, doctors, magistrates,
employees, industrialists… amateur cameramen who captured
the city´s life and people such as Ramón
Aguirrezabal, Luis Díaz de Corcuera, Julián
Elejospe, Pedro Escayol, Eloy González, Juan Ignacio
Lasagabaster, Felipe Manterola, Juan Bautista Pardo, Alberto Schommer
Koch, Alberto Schommer, Cecilio Ugarte and José Ignacio
Vegas, among others.
Documentary film
and themed projections
With some of these materials and others belonging to a variety of
private archives, Antxon Urrosolo has directed a 90-minute documentary
film collage that will be screened twice daily in the Espacio Ciudad
room. This feature-length film starts with the family films of Alberto
Schommer. Through his childhood, youth and maturity we go on to visit
Vitoria-Gasteiz and Álava throughout the century, along with
other lives, other images filmed by different people there.
The Espacio Cultural room is open to the public from Monday to Friday,
from 19.00 to 21.00 hrs; and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 12.00
to 14.00 and from 19.00 to 21.00 hrs. The feature length film with
images of the Alberto Schommer will always begin 15 minutes after the
room is opened.
The exhibition also includes three 30-minute simultaneous projections,
each of them subdivided into short films, covering the following
subjects:
-The city throughout time.
-Citizens: social and family life.
-The towns.
Visitors can also view a selection of photographs of Vitoria-Gasteiz
and the Santa María Cathedral, among which there are old
photographs and others from the collections of the Santa
María Cathedral Foundation taken by photographers Vari
Caramés and José Manuel Navia.
Compilation of new
materials
In addition to exhibiting the restored films, the exhibition is also
interactive and invites citizens to identify more closely with the
people and places. Cards will be made available for visitors to fill in
their personal information and give more meaning to some images that
are already of great value.
The Santa María Cathedral Foundation website –
www.catedralvitoria.com - offers information about the exhibition, its
funding and ways of contributing opinions and new materials.