Rota n' Roll
(Rota n' Roll)
Vanesa Benítez | Documentary
2019 | 75 minutes | Spain
In the 50s, a group of American marines brought dollars, Marlboros, Cadillacs, night clubs, and rock n´roll into post civil war Spain, an impoverished fascist dictatorship.
Synopsis
During the Cold War there was a corner on the Spanish seaside, where the United States controlled the threat of the fearsome Communist bloc of the Soviet Union. The largest American military base on European soil was built in Rota, a small and humble farming and fishing village that soon started to change.
Farmers like Juan "el Gato" lost his piece of land and fishermen like Antonio "el Cisquero" changed their fishing boats by warships. And then, thousands of American marines like Paul arrived with their huge cars that barely fit in the narrow streets, full with clubs where teenagers soldiers, like Mike, tried to find a shelter to forget about Vietnam. But there were also those who came back from Vietnam, and when the Sixth Fleet and the nuclear submarines were docked, "rock n 'roll" started in the town.
Streets full of bars and "sins," dollars, American smuggling products, stories of friendship,disagreement but also love stories between the marines and the girls in town. The tiny humble village got richer and bigger while, through the loudspeakers of the radio, the greatest hits of rock & roll provided a soundtrack to the base, broadcast from the base radio station for soldiers not to feel homesick. But the wave of sound ran through the fences and young people in the area discovered unknown melodies for the first time and many local music bands, such as "Los Radars," (so called because of the huge antenna that intercepted the signals of the Russian spy ships) and many other young people were brought up under all that cultural and social influence, thinking that "the real world" was that, when it was enough to come near a next village to wake up from the "American way of life" to the misery of the postwar period and to Franco´s dictatorship was still ruling in Spain. And all these things happened once upon a time, when Rota met the "Roll".
Citation
Main credits
Zamora, Vanesa Benítez (film director)
Zamora, Vanesa Benítez (screenwriter)
Kunschke, Daniel Méndez (film producer)
Vila, Javier (screenwriter)
Other credits
Cinematography, Antonio Galisteo; editing, Javier Vila.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Fascism + Repression
History
Iberian Studies
Music
Political Science
Sociology
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
Premios IMAGENERA - Documentary Creation
DIRECTOR: Vanesa Benítez
NATIONALITY: Spain
YEAR: 2019
GENRE: Documentary
LANGUAGE: Spanish
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adult
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE
Existing customers, please log in to view this film.
New to Pragda? Register to request a quote.
Related Films
Tehran Blues
Un blues para Teherán
The Rock
La roca
Miguelito: A Song to Puerto Rico
Miguelito: canto a Borinquen
Greykey
5105, A Story of an Escape from Mauthausen
5105 Historia de una fuga de Mauthausen
These Walls
Estos muros
Marimbas From Hell
Las marimbas del infierno
We Still Have the Deep Black Night
Ainda tenemos a imensidao da noite
Foreign Soldier
Soldado estrangeiro
Europe in 8 Bits
Sublime
Red Gringo: American Pop Culture and Cold War in Latin America.
Gringo rojo
We Are Mari Pepa
Somos Mari Pepa
Black and White Democracy
Democracia em preto e branco
Related Collections
Social Justice
A thought-provoking collection of films centered on social justice, each narrative a powerful exploration of human rights, equality, and the pursuit of a more just society.
Number of titles: 85
SEE COLLECTION >Middle School Collection
Given varying criteria for content ratings and age restrictions in different regions, Pragda STREAM recommends faculty watch films in their entirety before assigning them to students.
Number of titles: 220
SEE COLLECTION >Spanish Language Films
A cinematic highlight of the magic and diversity of the Spanish language.
Number of titles: 440
SEE COLLECTION >Music
A captivating glimpse into the rich and vibrant musical traditions of this diverse region.
Number of titles: 37
SEE COLLECTION >The Arts
A fascinating journey into the creative process and the transformative power of artistic expression.
Number of titles: 113
SEE COLLECTION >High School Collection
Given varying criteria for content ratings and age restrictions in different regions, Pragda STREAM recommends faculty watch films in their entirety before assigning them to students.
Number of titles: 509
SEE COLLECTION >Repression and Resistance
An exploration of Spain and Latin America’s authoritarian regimes and the movements that fought against them.
Number of titles: 91
SEE COLLECTION >The Pragda Complete Film Collection
The essence of Spain and Latin America captured in their original language with English captions or subtitles.
Number of titles: 637
SEE COLLECTION >Documentary Chronicles
A truthful examination and captivating glimpse into the complexities of the region.
Number of titles: 385
SEE COLLECTION >