Dir. Aurel, 2020, France, Spain, Belgium. Color. 72 min.
With the voices of Valérie Lemercier, François Morel, Bruno Solo
In French, Spanish, Catalan, and English with English subtitles
Josep, an animated film by famed illustrator Aurel, tells an often-forgotten history of the confinement of Spanish refugees fleeing Francisco Franco’s dictatorship. Set in the year 1939, the film follows the true story of artist Josep Bartolí (Barcelona 1910 – NYC 1995) who found himself captive in France after escaping his native Catalonia. Having fled Franco’s forces, against which Bartolí fought, he is faced with the brutality of life in French concentration camps. Despite the inhumane conditions, he continues to draw, and strikes up an unlikely friendship that eventually allows him to escape.
The film will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker and renowned illustrator Aurel.
“A tribute to the power of drawing” — Screen
“The delicate beauty of the film is to succeed in showing art as a vital impulse” — Libération
Aurel
Aurel is a press cartoonist and comic book author born in Ardèche in 1980. He works for the daily Le Monde, as well as the weekly magazines Marianne and Politis.
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Aurel spent several years drawing for Jazz Magazine and has published cartoon albums as part of jazz-themed CD/BD box sets. Author of several political comics, Aurel published in 2019 a new work titled Fanette (Éditions Rouquemoute) and in 2021, Singes (Fututopolis). In 2011, Aurel co-directed the animated short Octobre noir, with Florence Corre, for La Fabrique studios. For his work on Josep, Aurel was nominated and awarded a Cesar Award in the category of best animated film.
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