Prestigious European TV channel ARTE makes ironic reference to a classic Spanish film in the in-depth characterisation it makes of the Catalonia conflict, in a new documentary viewable on its website. The documentary, made by Sylvain Louvet, Gary Grabli and Julie Peyrard, recounts events in Catalonia in the second half of 2017 under the title Catalogne: l'Espagne au bord de la crise de nerfs - Catalonia: Spain on the verge of a nervous breakdown - a twist on the title of a famous Pedro Almodóvar comedy. The one-hour production, narrated in French with English subtitles available, travels from the quiet villages of rural Catalonia, to Barcelona, and on to Brussels, to tell its story.
According to Arte, the Catalan push for independence "is the crisis that has been shaking up Europe, ever since the referendum on 1st October and the victory for the "Yes" voters". The channel recounts the events that have unfolded since then: the Catalan declaration of independence, Spain's approval of article 155 to take direct control over Catalonia, the dismissal of president Puigdemont, the dissolution of Parliament, the imprisonment of ministers and the forced calling of a snap election.
"Spain is one step away from imploding, Europe is holding its breath", says the documentary. "How did we get here? What roots does this unprecedented crisis have? What consequences does it have for the EU? Is there a risk of contagion?" Arte asks.