Crespià, the Film not the Village

Loving cult film and idiosyncratic musical portrait of summer festivities in the Catalan village of Crespià, with early performances by the well-known faces from the work of Serra (Honor de cavalleria and El cant dels ocells).

Crespià, the Film not the Village is a portrait of a Catalan village in the summer. It oscillates between documentary and fiction, like Fellini’s Roma. The film is an artificial but nonetheless realistic re-creation of life in the village in the 1980s.
Albert Serra (1975, Banyoles): ‘I meant to make a work of art, but I was unable to fulfil my ambition; I ended up making an ’auteur’ film. The idea was born four or five years ago. I happened to be spending a Sunday afternoon in Madremanya, in the Catalan countryside. There was a popular fete in the village. This is where I saw most of my personal mythology synthesised. I immediately realised that this was my personal Hairspray or Cry Baby. I only had to add a few details to complement the reality I saw in Madremanya.
Is it fiction or a documentary? At first it was fiction. That explains the artificiality of the interpretation and musical sketches. I hate documentaries. They are the perfect excuse for people with no imagination. But as the film is a portrayal of a world that has almost vanished, it could be considered a ‘document’. This annoys me a bit, because I consider myself an artist. I believe the film has at least three or four unforgettable moments of beauty, which justify the rest.
Is it a musical? More or less. It does have good music in it, and some wonderful ‘sardanes’ by Manel Saderra. And live music of the ‘fete.’ —International Film Festival Rotterdam