How was the idea to make Little Spain born?
I came to NYC with a student visa for the Herbet Berghof Studio. I
lived at 100th st. and Broadway, took the subway everyday and got off at
14th st. and 8th avenue. I would walk west to the Meatpacking District,
and once there turn South to Bank st. to get to HB Studio. I had to
take that route everyday, and took notice of the Spanish and U.S.
flags together in an old building. One day I went inside and met Robert
Sanfiz, who was at that moment the secretary of the Spanish Center, and
he told me the story about the building and the Spanish immigration in
the west side of Chelsea. In that moment, I realized that it would be
really interesting to make a documentary that would collect
historically relevant testimonies, interviews and old photographs
that would show that story.
Did you find things that you didn't expect at all?
Once Robert Sanfiz got the permit from the manager of the building to
allow me to live in apartment #1 of the building on 14th street for one
year, I spent that time researching. Some people interviewed in the
documentary were merchant marines that arrived to NYC in the 60´s and
settled in Chelsea, when in that moment a Spanish community
was flourishing. In most of the cases it was people who came fleeing
Franco´s Dictatorship.
How did Spanish people living in NYC 60 years ago treat each other?
They were, in many ways, much more supportive than the Spanish of
today. They could further support each other, which is no longer true
today. They thrived in small communities, that were like a composition
of Spain disseminated in Manhattan. The flavors and sounds,
dances, were more often evoked, treated like cultural roots and a love
to the lost land, and not as a product of exportation.
How did they change through the years?
These generations have changed, and, at least in regard to the
Spanish concentration on West 14th Street, replaced by immigrants from
Central America, the Caribbean and South America. Back in the 90s the
Spanish community was almost extinct. I believe that the new Spanish
emigrants of today have lost a port of entry in a major city like New
York.
Have you been able to meet some of the people who you found in the files of La National?
We received emails asking about relatives who lived in the area, but
the real mission of the documentary was to document the history of an
immigrant community, exposing its ups and downs, not specific people.
What is the funniest thing that you found? And the saddest?
I don´t remember anything particularly funny, I
found the documentary something rather serious. The saddest thing was
seeing how some people tried to pressure Robert Sanfiz to appear in the
documentary themselves for their own personal gain. These were
characters that were not relevant documentary or testimonials
whatsoever, as the current manager of the restaurant called "La
National", on the ground floor of 239 West 14th Street. The Spanish
Center survived mainly by renting this place to the restaurateur called
Lolo Manso. Therefore, when he heard about the documentary, Lolo
contacted me for an interview, and pressured others to do so. I´m glad
that I stayed true to the original idea of the documentary, and I never
gave in to this kind of pressure. For this and other reasons I
consider that my work will stand the test of time, indeed, because it's
based on history and old photos acquired by the producer that haven't
been seen anywhere else. I think that this will be an indispensable part
of the history of Spanish immigration and history of New York, a city
made of migrants. Another sad moment came when we wanted to interview
James Fernandez, a researcher who was very close to the
Spanish consulate in NY. It was surprising to find that Mr.
Fernandez had no interest in participating in the documentary, and
then I realized that most of the scholars interested in this story only
worked for his personal glory, leaving the common interest in history in
the background. Finally, I realized that emotions narrated in first
person were of greater value than studies made in offices at the King
Juan Carlos Center...
Did you find any support in the Spanish institutions?
The Spanish Center supported the project, thanks especially to the
good sense and overview of Robert Sanfiz, who arbitrated with the board
to allow me go into the archive of 239 w 14th st, and for allowing me to
live in the building. And the importance of rescuing these historical
memories was especially appreciated by American institutions. The
Spanish Center is an American institution, not Spanish.
Spanish institutions, however, have always remained indifferent to the
history of Spain, which does not impress me given the current
sociopolitical situation of my country. At that time, Fernando
Villalonga was the General Consul of the Kingdom of Spain in New York,
and was interviewed about immigration for my project. Now Fernando
Villalonga is responsible for the culture area of the municipality
of Madrid. After proposing an exhibition to him with the files posted in
the documentary, especially the part which was acquired from private
collections during my research, Villalonga's office contacted me
personally to tell me that "Don Fernando didn´t want to feel connected
with New York in this new period of his career". I never understood what
they meant with that phrase, but Spanish people lost a
great opportunity to take a look at this account of Spanish emigration,
that involved everybody, Catalans, Galician or Valencian.
What about support from Spanish government here in NYC or in Spain?
Something similar happened with the consul for cultural affairs in
New York. Inigo Ramirez de Haro, I had a meeting with him after which
neither him nor the offices that depend on it, theoretically dedicated
to the Spanish culture in the U.S., made contact with us. Yes, I know
that Ramirez de Haro proudly displayed promoting the saga "Torrente" in
Tribeca theaters in NY. For this kind of movies they lay hold of public
money. I like Santiago Segura and he deserves my professional respect,
of course, but here the question is what are the priorities of a culture
consulate. Tension exists because many people want to see the
documentary about Little Spain, while their managers feel abandoned by
the Spanish authorities in New York. I guess it's a reflection
of Spanish politics, but I understand and respect the point of view of
producers, who have not received any funding except that of private
sources to carry out a project that clearly deserves attention from the
Spanish authorities. Spanish institutions in NY and USA are more
concerned with creating brand, basically, to protect big business
interests, but it has no interest on historical memory and genuine
culture.
What about the issue of the documentary in Spanish TV?
That's another interesting point: RTVE, television and national radio
in Spain, has no budget in the last years. Naomi de Cabo, responsible
for acquisitions of documentaries for the public TV, has said repeatedly
that she wants to issue Little Spain, but the current circumstances
don´t allow it. The Spanish audience is now more vulnerable than
ever about cultural issues. It doesn’t matter what the audience wants to
see, whether photos or documentaries, the responsible people for this
effect, politicians and senior officials, have other interests. And the
subject of historical memory in Spain is problematic. Most of
the protagonists of Chelsea's Little Spain in the 50s were Republicans
in exile.
How did you feel living a whole year in La National?
It was an unforgettable experience. Robert Sanfiz is a charming
person who really wanted the Spanish people in New York more united. He
found many bumps in the road, but he gave a lesson on morals and
integrity defending our project at all times, he also appears as one of
the interviewed. Moreover, it´s true that this corner of Manhattan has a
special flavor, although it has almost lost the scenario. In the times
in which I resided there, the building still was old and had a special
aura that has now been extinguished with successive and necessary
reforms. Similarly, the old press kiosk on the southeast corner,
intersection of 14th Street and 8th Avenue, was still the original. A
few weeks ago I saw that they had already replaced it with a brand new
stainless steel one that completely alters the urban landscape. I'm glad
I recorded these details before they disappeared. I think
the documentary has been able to capture that environment.
Did it have any influence in your personality or your subsequent work?
It's a great project, I feel lucky to have led the two documentaries
that form the series. I think it was important on a professional level
but also on a personal level. Everything is a reflexion about "the
Spanish", with their dark sides and light sides, and that teaches you
to know yourself. It's a shame that the Spanish idiosyncrasy has a
strong tendency of disunity and Particracy.
Do you have distribution for your film? Can we see it soon somewhere?
That is something the producers should answer, they are the owners of
the documentary. But for now I don't know anything about an upcoming
première primarily due to the tensions between the producers and the
Spanish institutions in NY.
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