24/08/2006

In 1939, 13 young women, all sympathisers of the Communist party, were arrested and accused – without reason – of collaborating in a terrorist attack against a member of the army. This case, commonly known as "The Thirteen Roses", ended with prisoners being executed despite their innocence and is considered to be one of the darkest episodes of post-Civil War Spain.

After light musical comedies The Other Side of the Bed and The Two Sides of the Bed (see focus), Spanish director Emilio Martínez-Lázaro decided to take on a more serious tone and used the aforementioned events as the basis for his new feature film, aptly entitled Las trece Rosas (lit. "The Thirteen Roses").

Written by Ignacio Martínez de Pisón, the film has not, however, been publicised as an activist historical product aimed at refreshing the national memory. "I leave that up to historians", said the director, who is, however, committed to portraying the main characters as heroines rather than victims.

The plot will thus focus on five of those 13 heroines and will mix facts with fictional elements. Only the character played by Pilar López de Ayala – who leads a female cast that also includes Shooting Star Marta Etura (see interview), Verónica Sánchez, Nadia de Santiago and Gabriella Pession – is a faithful rendition of a real person, a young Catholic woman whose only crime was to help a Communist friend of her husband’s.

The male cast includes Fran Perea, Alberto Ferreiro, Félix Gómez and Asier Etxeandía.

Currently being shot in Segovia and Madrid – where City Hall has closed off part of the centre’s streets in order to recreate part of the deserted post-war capital – the film is being produced by Pedro Costa for Delta Films on a budget of €9M. The film’s theatrical release is expected to take place in spring 2007.