Train of Memory (El tren de la memoria)

In the 60s, almost two million Spaniards left Spain in search of work in France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and especially West Germany. Poor, unskilled and largely illiterate, most thought they’d stay abroad for a matter of months; many wound up settling in these countries for the rest of their lives. Piecing together extraordinary archival footage along with testimony by the emigrants themselves, the film recounts the harsh conditions that forced so many Spaniards to abandon their farms and villages in search of work, as well as the often less than welcoming reception many received upon arriving at their destinations. The impact of the emigrants on politics back in Spain is also explored. With new immigrant populations from Asia, Africa and Latin America increasingly visible in Spain, The Train of Memory is a powerful reminder that the problems of dislocation, assimilation and resettlement have a long history throughout Europe.