Fri May 25 | 9:30 pm | PC

Buy tickets online

Director: Gereon Wetzel, Germany, 2006, 88 minutes
Catalan with English subtitles

In Catalonia there is a 200 year-old tradition: Castells, the formation of giant human pyramids. These towers are built by 400 people and can exceed 10 metres in height, reaching balconies high above the narrow streets and marketplaces. The teamwork must be perfect – the slightest mistake could be fatal. In fierce competitions different groups demonstrate how perfectly their small communities are holding together.

The filmmakers spent one season, through a summer full of crises, twists and turns, with team “Colla Joves” from Valls, a small town near Tarragona. Driven by a rivalry with the other group from Valls (the “Colla Vella”), the castellers strive for a victory at the final derby. In their efforts to make larger and more complex structures, sweating and swearing are common, minor injuries are obtained, and longstanding friendships are questioned. In one instance, their high hopes seem to be dashed by a terrified five-year-old girl who cannot be bribed or shamed to scale up a swaying tower. For the children who do climb to the very top tiers of the pyramids, their agility and frailty create white-knuckled suspense for the spectators at the live event and the film audience alike.

This tradition is not only a national sport but also a symbol of Catalonian pride and an emblem of cultural independence. As tower after tower wobbles, and often collapses, this warm and beautifully photographed film shows us the victories and the struggles that unite the people of Catalonia. In Castells, a multi-generational story unfolds where everyone has a place of their own and where the future of a community relies on the strength of its foundation.

Winner –  1st Prize Documentary Film Award, 2006 DOK FEST Munich International Documentary Film Festival

Preceded by:

Candemonium

Director: Jason Margolis, Canada, 2006, 7 minutes
You won’t believe the sculptures that can be built using cans of food! Check out this annual Vancouver anti-hunger project, “Canstruction.”

Screening Partner