Underplayed Gems

Ciutat morta (2014)

Ciutat morta poster
Directed by
Xapo Ortega, Xavier Artigas
Genre
documentary film
Country
Spain
Runtime
2h
Rating
6.3 of 10 from 19 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More films like this

How it feels

This documentary looks at the 2006 arrest and conviction of several people after a police officer was injured in Barcelona. It argues that the legal process was unfair and part of a larger pattern of police misconduct. The film follows the case and the efforts to bring attention to it.

investigativecriticalsoberingunsettlingpolitically chargedgrittyfactualurgent

What happens

Ciutat Morta ([siwˈtat ˈmɔr.tə], "Dead City") is a 2013 Catalan documentary about the 4F case, directed by Xavier Artigas and Xapo Ortega. The film covers the repercussions of the events of February 4, 2006, when a Guàrdia Urbana officer in Barcelona was grievously injured and several people were arrested. This resulted in a long court-case and ultimately four people were convicted and imprisoned, one of whom committed suicide. Ciutat Morta argues that the convictions were unjust and reflect general trends of police prejudice, violence and impunity to prosecution. The film generated controversy on its release, with a local media blackout. Catalan television (TV3) refused to produce or screen the film until 2015, after it had received positive reactions at film festivals. When it was eventually televised, five minutes had been cut by order of the court. Ciutat Morta was produced with volunteer labour by the directors after crowdfunding 4,700 euros, with La Directa staff pursuing the investigation. It caused a review of the convictions, none of which were overturned. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.