The Catalan Institute of America continues the Catalan Cinema Series in NY (movies in Catalan, with English subtitles)

Next friday March 5th at 7PM at the Millenium we will be presenting the movie "Mirant al Cel " by Jesus Garay, and the short film "Les sabatilles de Laura" by Óscar Bernàcer Free admittance - donation suggested. Books will be raffled among attendants Limited seating - Please make your reservation at rsvp@friendsofcatalonia.com

Millennium Film Workshop Inc
http://www.millenniumfilm.org
66 East 4th St, NY, NY (between Bowery & 2nd Avenue)
Transit: 2nd Ave - Lower East Side Station (0.2 mi) Subway: 6 to Astor Place, L to 3rd Ave -- 0.2

Friday March 5th at 7PM
Mirant al Cel by Jesus Garay
Fiction documentary. 2008. 83 minutes.
Original Version in Catalan, Spanish and Italian http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1209416/

The plot is about a old Italian expert on the Divine Comedy by Dante, who returns to Barcelona - a city where he considers that he has never been. After all, the young pilot who flew in over the city to drop bombs was not him – it was another person, in another time. And as he was so high up in the air, he never actually saw the city, let alone had to hear the screams of horror and pain by the damage he caused.

However, a Catalan journalist who is collecting eye witness reports by survivors who were in the streets of Barcelona when bombs fell over them, has decided to force him to talk about history. To her, the Italian is one of the few living witnesses of what happened, and she wants him to ask for forgiveness to her grandfather, who fought on the Republican side, defending the city.

In Mirant al cel, the old Italian man wants to see himself and everyone else who lived those terrible moments as victims of a war. The journalist protests that he as a pilot did not lose anything, while her grandfather did not only lose his house, but also his nation and the democracy which he fought for. Today, exactly 70 years have passed since republican Barcelona surrendered to the franquistes but these two perspectives still confront each other in discussions about the memòria històrica. Is it better to forgive and move on, or investigate what actually happened?

Mirant al cel is built up as a fiction movie but incorporates a lot of archive material by Erik Wirdheim (http://wirdheiminvilanova.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html)

Les sabatilles de Laura by Óscar Bernàcer
Short Film. 2009. 13 minutes.
Original version in Catalan
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1538501/maindetails

Little Laura is six years old and is experiencing the first days in her new home, along with her parents and older brother. While having dinner in the kitchen, her parents realize she is barefoot, and make her go to her room and put her slippers on to avoid getting a cold. The long corridor that leads there brings up every fear in her imagination.

This event is sponsored by the Government of Catalonia - Departament de la Vicepresidencia - Secretaria d'Afers Exteriors

September 13, 2009 Catalan Town Votes For Independence From Spain
Inhabitants of a small Spanish town voted Sunday for the region of Catalonia to secede from Spain in a poll which, though symbolic, adds to pressure on the minority Spanish government as it struggles to combat recession.
Source: The New York Times	More information...

September 1, 2009 - Restaurant Opening: Mercat Negre
An offshoot of Mercat in Manhattan will focus even more on Catalonia, thanks to Oriol Sala Colomer, the chef, who is from that region.
Source: The New York Times	More information...

August 28, 2009 - Barcelona Terminal T1 Opens
The curved and sleek terminal, which was designed by Ricardo Bofill, a native of Barcelona, reflects the latest in airport trends.
Source: The New York Times	More information...

August 28, 2009 - Barcelona Add Super Cup to Haul of Trophies
Barcelona added the UEFA Super Cup to four other trophies they have won this year when a goal late in extra-time from substitute Pedro Rodriguez secured a 1-0 win over Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk on Friday.
Source: The New York Times	More information...

June 14, 2009 - From Out to In, in Barcelona
Underground performance art is just one way the industrial landscape of Poblenou is remaking itself.
Source: The New York Times	More information...

May 27, 2009 - Champion's League Final: Barcelona 2, Man United 0
Barcelona has exposed the long accepted soccer and sports bromide that defense wins championships.
Source: The New York Times	More information...

May 5, 2009 - Budget Tapas in Barcelona
I am looking for suggestions for budget-priced tapas bars and restaurants in Barcelona. I will be there for a week in May and don’t want to break the proverbial piggy bank open if I can help it.
Source: The New York Times	More information...

May 3, 2009 - Europe on Two Borrowed Wheels
While on vacation in Barcelona with her mother last month, Laura Caddick had seen a lot of people tooling around on red-and-white bicycles. But the bikes that she saw everywhere — part of the city’s bicycle-sharing program — were for use by local residents only. Fortunately, Ms. Caddick’s hotel, ME Barcelona, had several bicycles for guests.
Source: The New York Times	More information...

May 2, 2009 - Barcelona 6, Real Madrid 2
That is not a misprint. At Bernabeu. And Real scored first. Henry, Puyol and Messi in the first half. Henry, Messi and Pique in the second half.
Source: The Washington Post	More information...

May 2, 2009 - Barcelona and Chelsea Turn On the Offense
After playing a boring, defensive and utterly unsatisfying 0-0 tie in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal series, Barcelona and Chelsea threw off the shackles and turned on the offense in their league games only hours apart on Saturday.
Source: The New York Times	More information...

April 30, 2009 - Translation Slam
Translation is a tricky business. You never know exactly where, or how, you’re going to end up.
Source: The New York Times	More information...

April 28, 2009 - Chelsea Takes Pride in Suppressing Barcelona’s Art
Chelsea deployed dark arts of anti-soccer to suppress Barcelona, 0-0, in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal.
Source: The New York Times	More information...

April 14, 2009 - Chelsea and Barcelona Reach Semifinals on Draws
Frank Lampard scored in the 76th and 89th minutes, and Chelsea withstood Liverpool’s surge to advance to the European Champions League semifinals with a 4-4 tie in London on Tuesday night.
Source: The New York Times	More information...

April 8, 2009 - Messi Nets Twice as Barcelona Overwhelms Bayern
Barcelona produced a stunning display of attacking football to overwhelm Bayern Munich 4-0 in their Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Nou Camp on Wednesday.
Source: The New York Times	More information...