The movie Phoenix 11·23 will have its première next Friday,
November the 9th. It brings to the silver screen the real story of
Eric Bertran, a 14 year old boy who created a web page in 2004 to defend the
Catalan language as inspired by Harry Potter. One night, thirty
Civil Guards (Spanish gendarmes) from the Madrid antiterrorist squad,
busted into his house accusing him of computer terrorism. His crime: sending an
e-mail to a supermarket chain asking them to label in Catalan.
The movie deals with the exposure of anyone to the abuse of
authority, particularly of the exposure of many Catalan citizens to the
abuse of authority of the Spanish state. It speaks of how, in the name
of security, the most elementary rights of the Catalans can be suppressed. It
wants to bring up the matter of what happens when Spain uses the aversion to terrorism to stigmatize or destroy those who think differently, as do many
Catalans. In short, it explains how powerful state instruments are used
against certain citizens instead of serving them.
It’s a movie denouncing practices that are absolutely intolerable, as did
the movie In the name of the father, by Jim Sheridan several years ago. Because,
as expressed by the philosopher, linguist and activist Noam Chomsky when he knew of this story: “the world must know about Eric’s
story”.
Phoenix 11·23 is directed by Joel Joan and Sergi Lara, written by Albert Plans and
Víctor Hernández Vicens and stars the young actor Nil Cardoner. The cast
also includes Alex Casanovas, Rosa Gàmiz, Lluís Villanueva, Roberto Álamo and guest stars
Ana Wagener. It is the first Catalan feature film of that
magnitude that is partly financed through micro-patronage.
"Phoenix 11·23 is a modern David and Goliath, where the
state is a huge and powerful monster, and our hero is only a kid who, without
pretending to, has to face it”. Joel Joan and Sergi
Lara.
As you have already written a review (or an intro) about this movie, could you update its page at imdb.com or similar webs?