“"Carmen Laforet's case is a paradigmatic example of how female talent is underestimated. 'Nada' is one of the most internationally translated Spanish novels (34 languages in 37 countries), yet most people don't even remember the author's name. Why are the stories of men forging their path always told with an epic and heroic air, while the stories of women who deviate from the script are always treated as failures, or spoken of with condescension? My intention is to change the narrative that habitually undervalues and discourages audacity and risk-taking in women. This documentary is an exploration that immerses the viewer in the vision and experience of a woman committed to herself, obsessed with freedom, truth, and the search for a unique language for women."
Documentary on Carmen Laforet Premieres at Las Palmas Film Festival
The film 'Por qué no escribo nada' explores the writer's life and her Canary Islands connection, featuring the voice of Mónica López.
By Gara León Betancourt
••3 min read
IA
Generic image of vintage books on a wooden table, with a blurred library background.
The documentary 'Por qué no escribo nada' (Why I Don't Write Anything), directed by Isabel Fernández, is set to be screened in the Canarias Cinema section of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival, offering a fresh perspective on the life and work of Carmen Laforet.
This co-production between Al Pati Produccions (Barcelona) and Imaco 89 (Gran Canaria) has already been featured in the official section of the BCN Film Festival. The film delves into the figure of Carmen Laforet, one of the most unique voices in Spanish literature, utilizing previously unpublished texts by the author, private correspondence, articles, and books.
Actress Mónica López, known for her role in Rapa and nominated for Goya and Feroz Awards, lends her voice to embody Carmen Laforet, giving presence to the writer. The documentary aims to intimately reconstruct Laforet's world and her constant fight for freedom, presenting a different view from the fragile writer image often associated with her.
The film highlights Carmen Laforet's contemporary relevance, portraying her as a free spirit who remained outside media and editorial pressures. Unpublished letters from Laforet to her friend in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, writer María Dolores de la Fe, and to Ricardo Lezcano, are crucial elements in the narrative, as is the evocation of the Canary Islands landscape that influenced her development.
The documentary features contributions from prominent writers such as Najat El Hachmi, Laura Freixas, Karmele Jaio, Ana Merino, Elsa López, Blanca Ripoll, and María Zaragoza, who enrich the portrait of the author. The immersive soundtrack was composed by Canarian artist Belén A. Doreste (Lajalala). The screening will take place on Sunday, April 26, at Cines Yelmo Las Arenas, with Isabel Fernández and Mónica López in attendance.
