Dr. Begoña Echeverria has reached out to share news about her new project, CHILDREN OF GUERNICA a film by herself, Annika Speer, and Jacqueline Postajian. You may recall that I interviewed Begoña and Annika about their play, Picasso Presents Gernika. Please see her note below.
“Many of you were supportive of my play Picasso Presents Gernika, which my collaborators and I staged at the Chino Community Theatre, the Santa Monica Playhouse, and at the United Nations Headquarters in honor of World Refugee Day. We are grateful that numerous Basque clubs and organizations hosted screenings of the play as well.
We are now making a short film adaptation, CHILDREN OF GUERNICA, stemming from the play. The film is inspired by a true story of a Basque refugee who escaped the bombing of Gernika by emigrating to England.
Here’s the premise: In April 1937, Hitler bombed the sacred Basque town Gernika. 20,000 children were evacuated to foreign countries for protection, separated from their families. Our short historical fiction film tells the story of one of those children, Andrea. Weaving art created by children of survivors with documentary footage and narrative, CHILDREN OF GUERNICA follows Andrea as she confronts the traumas of her past in order to seek peace in the present. Our film considers how art contributes to our healing and humanity.
My goal is to represent the Basque community and tell our stories on screen, while also tying our stories to the broader world. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to my fundraiser to help us bring this important story to life! A generous anonymous donor will provide matching funds if $5000 is collected by March 15st, 2025. For more information about the film and ways to give, follow this link. Thank you! Mila esker!”
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That should be a very interesting film. My mother-in-law, now 97 years old, was one of the 4,000 Basque children who sailed to Southampton on the SS Habana. She stayed in England for 10 years, then returned to her native town of Zarautz and became an English teacher. Fond of all things English she still loves “a nice cuppa tea”.
Thanks for sharing this Andrew! It is amazing that people are still with us who experienced this all first hand.
Greetings,
Has anyone read the book “Spain in our Hearts” by Adam Hochschild? I wish uncle Luis was still alive–he came from Navarre. My dad had a wine business, wholesale and retail. Uncle Luis and his Basque friends and my dad’s friends would me every Sunday when the store was closed. I heard them talk about all this misery –I don’t want to think about it but the news lately is so depressing. When will it ever stop?
Monique