ANEKUMEN

May 1978, the end of Franco’s regime in Spain, and the excitement, ebullience around the democratic transition is palpable. In the outskirts of San Sebastian, a group of young factory workers ramp up the fight against a corporate agreement in the metalwork trade. Upon losing the fight, the most radical, disillusioned members quit their job at the factory and experiment a new kind of spiritual collaboration in the remote community of Anekumen. However, along the way, they encounter profound contradictions in their aspirations that will disrupt / throw off the ideal they are pursuing. 

Plowing the furrow of her historical depiction of the 70s Basque labour movement, which she explored in Contadores, Irati Gorostidi Agirretxe steeps her characters in one of those communities that were created in Spain during the intense social struggles at the time. Using her precise and thorough research method, she develops her own interpretation of group dynamics. She brings to the fore the political aspect of one’s personal, intimate life, and tackles fervently sexual liberation, romantic relationships, and the environment. The profound desires of these 1978s youths resonate in our current society.