The Spanish-Chilean-Argentine co-production “Winnipeg, Seeds of Hope” will be one of 11 films selected for the Contrechamps feature film section at this year’s Annecy Animation Film Festival.
The animated feature film is directed by Beñat Beitia Uresti (“Mama, I’m a Zombie”) and Hélio Quiroga (“Fotos,” “The Mystery of the Kinema King”) and is based on the graphic novel by Laura Marte.
The story follows Victor and his young daughter Julia, who flee Spain after the fall of Barcelona to General Franco’s forces in January 1939. They managed to escape to France, but were eventually sent to concentration camps. Their only hope for a better life is aboard the cargo ship Winnipeg, chartered by Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and artist Delia del Carril. The goal is to provide survivors with a new life in Valparaiso, Chile.
“This extraordinary animated film reveals a true story that has been largely forgotten for decades, a story that interweaves the life of the great poet Pablo Neruda with the lives of countless men and women who were forced to flee war and dictatorship, leaving their homeland behind forever and taking with them only the hope of building a new life in a strange world,” said MMM’s Marco Urizzi, who is in charge of international sales of the film.
The film features the voices of leading Chilean actors Alfredo Castro (Tony Manero, From Afar), Paulina García (Gloria, Little Men), and Luis Gnecco (Neruda, No).
“We were impressed by the immense talent of these three men, as well as by the dedication and deep respect of all the Chilean artists who took part in the production. In Spain, this story has been silenced by fear and pain, but when I was in Chile, “The story of Winnipeg proved to be very popular, a heroic feat that they were proud of, and a story of social and cultural enrichment,” co-director Beñat Beitia Uresti told Variety.
The film was produced by Ricardo Ramon and Joan Randalze of Dibritoon Studios and co-produced by Marianne Mayer-Beck (El Otro Film), Toni Marin Villa (La Ballesta), Nicolas Couven (Malabar Produciones) and Dolores Montaño (Malabar Productions).
winnipeg, wind of hope
Variety had the opportunity to speak with the film’s co-director Beñat Beitia Uresti in more detail.
The Winnipeg’s voyage was made possible by Pablo Neruda and artist Delia del Carril, and the ship was accepted by the young Salvador Allende, who later became president of Chile.
Beñat Beitia Uresti: One of the most fascinating aspects of this story is how disparate people come together with the common goal of saving lives. Pablo Neruda played an important role in his appointment as Chile’s special consul for Spanish immigration. And alongside him was his wife at the time, Delia Del Carril, who actively led the efforts to carry out this humanitarian effort. Although history has not always treated this figure with the same generosity, we have sought to do justice to it in our films through the sensitivity, dedication, and conviction of this defining figure. We must also pay tribute to Salvador Allende, who supported Chile’s refugee admissions as Minister of Health on behalf of President Pedro Aguirre Cerda.
What made you want to bring this historic project to the screen?
Beitia Uresti: I’m interested in human stories, stories of dedication. Obviously, there is also a personal connection to that era, which is also the purpose of the memorial. We are the grandchildren of those who fought against Franco’s rebels in the Spanish Civil War. And like so many other families, we are the grandchildren of people who suffered from post-war repression and who were forced to migrate in search of opportunities far from their homelands. We grew up hearing bits and pieces of those stories, including the silences. That emotional intimacy was one of the driving forces that drove me to bring this project to the screen, as a deep homage to a complex memory that defies simplification.
This story is very relevant today in terms of current events. Can you talk about some of the similarities between 1939 and now?
Beitia Uresti: This film is set in 1939, but it deals with issues that continue to resonate painfully in every news story today, about the reality of the national priorities that they are trying to impose on us. We are bystanders of a humanitarian crisis. What can be said about European-sanctioned deportation centers, immigrant persecution, ICE, and the genocide of Palestinians…Times, geography, and political circumstances change, but the fear, anxiety, and quest for survival and dignity remain the same, or even lead to even more nightmarish outcomes.
This film does not seek to simply compare different eras, but rather to remind us that behind any immigration phenomenon there are fundamental issues that we must face and address. And Winnipeg represents one of the great examples of unity in the 20th century. Perhaps memory only has meaning if it helps us avoid repeating the darkness. And because even in the face of fear and barbarism, solidarity is one of the most beautiful and dignified forms of human resistance.
