TRAILER
SYNOPSIS
Inside the historical center of the city of Valencia, the districts
of el Carme, el Mercat and Velluters are a crucible of contradictory
images, along with the peace of the sunny afternoons in its squares,
it is the bustle and the barbarity of the weekends at night.
But the real treasure of these areas is in its heritage, not only in
the group of buildings that make up the urban weft, also in its inhabitants
and their lifestyle. After the destruction of Velluters neighborhood,
the Barrio del Carmen is located in the goal of the administration
and speculators and, in particular, one of its most famous monuments:
the Arab wall, in place since the eleventh century. The so-called Plan
of the Wall under the guise of protecting the heritage seeks to
expel 150 people from their homes and down several surrounding buildings,
destroying the double heritage that is preserved and in very few places
in Valencia.
Living Wall is a film dedicated to all those who resist and
maintain their identity against the pressures of an administration
that should protect them.
TECHNICAL DATA
Original Spanish Title: Mur Viu
Catalan Title: Mur Viu
French Title: Mur Vivant
Director: Samuel Sebastian
Productor: sinCasa
Producer: Samuel Sebastian
Music: ÒWIX, Orxata Sound System, Synaulia
Camera: Samuel Sebastian
Editor: Alba Bonet
Duration: 63 min
Up
INFORMATION
On Sunday 21 October, was screened in the Mostra de Cinema del Mediterrani
the documentary film "Mur Viu", a work directed by Samuel Sebastian
and produced by sinCasa. This film shows us the struggle of the citizens
of different neighborhoods in the Ciutat Vella of Valencia for their
livelihood. In fact, the film is dedicated to all those who struggle
to maintain their identity. Their identity? Not only that but those
who wish to live peacefully in their homes without any nonsense of
urban plan will come to ruin their lives. The film is a great testament
to what happens, what is happening in the lives of those citizens.
The film is about, essentially, the anguish and struggle of the residents
against the so-called Plan of the Wall of the Carmen District.
That plan sought to remove from their homes to dozens of families,
demolish their houses and build in its place public equipments. So,
thanks to the neighborhood struggle and the rectification of the Administration,
it could being stopped and a new consensus plan saw the light (for
the first time in this city, an urban plan was rectified with the participation
of the citizens). But it's been three years of that, and what has been
done?: Not enough, better say, nothing.
Since the director general of Architecture, Fernando Mut, went out,
a year and a half ago, the monitoring committee has not been reconvened,
from the restructuring of the regional government no politician has
received the neighbors, except the Town Planning Jorge Bellver. Neither
the Department of Infrastructure and Transport, responsible for Riva,
or the CEO of Heritage, or the Department of Land, head of IVVSA have
called or received to the neighbours. We are in the beginning of the
term and this may be an opportunity to get all work and at the end
of it the plan may be executed. Meanwhile, very few of us have been
able to redevelop this area of the Carmen District, some because they
are not given permission to rehabilitation, others because the process
is eternal and others because seeing the inaction of the Administration
do not trust that these improvements the neighborhood will take place.
Meanwhile, dozens of empty areas are filled with rubbish, buildings
are falling with the inaction of the Government, traditional shops
are closing. Who gets benefits from this? Of course, those who live
here we don't, but neither the rest of the city, which looks at a heritage
of the first magnitude, the wall, remains unrestored, unable to enjoy
for all citizens. And there are fewer neighbors and more and more degradation.
We are tired of waiting. The neighbors had come to trust the process
in which we were involved: participation. We hope that this time will
not be not a lie, and for that we are not going to demobilize, because
we want the best for our children, our neighborhood, for the city,
for all of Valencia. And the Administration, is there for working?
Josep Montesinos i Martínez, Levante-EMV, 10.27.2007.
PHOTOS
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