I went to the public premiere of 'Maixabel' yesterday morning, at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. The film deals guilt and forgiveness in the context of the violence and terrorism that took place in the Spanish Basque Country at the hands of the ETA and the police.
Experiencing the film at a theatre surrounded by people who were connected to the history was pretty moving. By the end there was hardly a dry eye in the house, applause throughout most of the credits, and then near silence while they finished and while we slowly filed out.
I still don't know a whole lot about the history itself, but came away with a big appreciation for the wide variety of different emotions and perspectives that remain after the violence has stopped.
I hope that once it's done in theatres it has a wider release on streaming platforms.
