Podcast Summary: "Acontece que no es poco | La performance del Rocío: la verdad censurada"

Podcast: Todo Concostrina (SER Podcast)
Host: Nieves Concostrina
Episode Date: April 10, 2023

Episode Overview

This episode of Acontece que no es poco dives into the story behind the controversial 1980 documentary Rocío, directed by Fernando Ruiz Vergara. Nieves Concostrina and her co-host discuss how the film, which critically examined the origins and business of the Rocío pilgrimage, was censored in Spain even after the supposed end of film censorship, and the harsh repercussions faced by its creators. The conversation emerges amidst recent uproar over a comedic TV sketch about the Virgen del Rocío, prompting a wider reflection on history, memory, and the limits placed on freedom of expression in Spain’s democracy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Uproar Over a TV Comedy Sketch (01:06 - 02:00)

• The episode starts with the recent controversy surrounding a comedic TV sketch that parodied the Virgen del Rocío and Andalusian Semana Santa.
• Quote [02:00]:
  "Es que hace un par de días que algunos andaluces están con los nervios de punta por un sketch de humor en TV... Por favor."
  (Nieves, 02:00)
• Emphasis is placed on the fact that it's a vocal minority inflating the controversy, often resulting in generalizations about all Andalusians.
• The hosts argue that most Andalusians are indifferent to such sketches, and note how media outrage often brings attention to things many would otherwise ignore.

2. Setting the Historical Context: The Documentary Rocío (03:00 - 04:35)

• Nieves proposes to look at facts instead of engaging in the abstract debate about humor, offense, and religion.
• She introduces Rocío, a 1980 Andalusian-made documentary that "tells the true story behind the Rocío tradition."
• Expands on the film's contents: how the tradition was constructed, who benefited materially, and how the festival’s origins are intertwined with class interests and opportunism.
• Quote [03:52]:
  "Es un documental que bajo ningún concepto deben ver los rocieros. No se les ocurra. Es muy serio. Y si a unos cuantos les ha dado un parraque con un chiste, con un documental serio, les va a explotar la cabeza directamente."
  (Nieves, 03:52)

3. The Censorship and Suppression of Rocío (04:43 - 06:33)

• The film was made by Fernando Ruiz Vergara in 1980, under the belief that democracy and a new constitution would guarantee freedom of expression.
• The documentary exposed, among other things:
  • The commercial interests behind the Rocío pilgrimage.
  • The marginalization of the poor in its origins.
  • The invention of supposed miracles.
  • Franco-era urban development and corruption.
  • The role of the Rocío brotherhood in Francoist repression, including the denunciation and execution of 100 villagers from Almonte.
• Despite the legal end of film censorship in 1977, Rocío was seized by authorities, revealing the limits of Spain's "farsante transición" (phony transition to democracy).
• Quote [06:23]:
  "La película Rocío fue secuestrada pese a que la ley de censura cinematográfica se había derogado en 1977, o sea que menuda transición la que tuvimos."
  (Nieves, 06:23)

4. A Parallel with the Censorship of El crimen de Cuenca (06:33 - 08:30)

• The case is compared to the film El crimen de Cuenca by Pilar Miró, similarly censored for exposing past injustices.
• Both films challenged official narratives and were met with hardline responses from officials who were "franquistas reciclados" (recycled Francoists) in the new democracy.
• Quote [07:31]:
  "Este documental es el primer trabajo, le salió sin querer, pero es el primer trabajo de memoria histórica que se hizo con testimonios muy duros de la represión franquista."
  (Nieves, 07:31)

5. The Forces Behind the Censorship (09:30 - 11:09)

• The suppression of Rocío wasn’t directly by the government but by a powerful, Francoist family from Almonte implicated in the reprisals shown in the film.
• Testimonies in the film, naming those responsible for summary executions, were particularly explosive.
• Those responsible for the killings often wore the Rocío medallion, intertwining religious imagery with acts of violence.
• The case became a chilling warning to others tempted to speak or film about the subject.
• Quote [10:25]: "Todos los que apretaron el gatillo llevaban la medalla de la Virgen del Rocío colgada del cuello, porque bajo la protección de una supuesta virgen, pues oye, parece que se fusila con más tranquilidad al prójimo."
  (Nieves, 10:25)

6. Availability and Legacy of the Film (11:09 - 13:13)

• The documentary is now freely available on YouTube and was premiered in 1980, even winning awards before it was censored.
• The documentary was denounced specifically on the morning of February 23, 1981—a notorious date in Spanish history due to the failed coup d'état later that day.
• The denunciation targeted the director, the screenwriter Ana Vila, and two elderly witnesses from Almonte.
• Quote [11:57]:
  "En La mañana del 23 de febrero del 81 se interpuso la denuncia contra el director, la guionista y dos vecinos de Almonte, Pedro Gómez Clavijo y José Aragón Domínguez, que aparecen en el documental contando cómo fue la represión franquista allí en Almonte."
  (Nieves, 11:57)

7. The Toll on the Filmmakers (13:07 - 14:25)

• Ruiz Vergara took full responsibility to shield others, resulting in personal and professional ruin: fined 10 million pesetas, ostracized, and forced into exile in Portugal, where he died in poverty.
• Nieves notes that a second documentary (El caso Rocío by José Luis Tirado, 2013) recounts the saga of the film’s censorship and the ongoing attempts to suppress discussion.
• Quote [13:13]:
  "A Fernando Ruiz Vergara lo arruinaron. Él se hizo único responsable del documental para evitar que la guionista y los dos testigos que contaban la verdad fueran condenados. Y lo condenaron a él a pagar 10 millones de pesetas en aquel año."
  (Nieves, 13:13)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On selective outrage:
  "Mentira cochina, porque hay una mayoría de andaluces hasta el gorro de que los metan en el mismo saco de los rocieros." (Nieves, 02:17)
• On documentary as dynamite:
  "Ese documental era dinamita." (Nieves, 13:00)
• On the hypocrisy of 'respect':
  "... Ellos exigen respeto y nosotros tenemos respeto a eso. Pueden seguir haciéndolo a diario si quieren. Hoy solo nos estamos refiriendo a las gravísimas consecuencias que trajo para el cineasta sevillano..." (Nieves, 10:55)

Important Timestamps

• [02:00] Nieves rebuts generalizations about Andalusians and critiques media outrage.
• [04:43] Introduction to the Rocío documentary and its investigative aims.
• [06:23] Explanation of how and why the documentary was censored.
• [07:31] The film’s unintended importance to Spain’s historical memory.
• [11:09] Information about current availability of the documentary.
• [13:13] Details on the personal and legal consequences faced by the director.

Tone and Style

Nieves Concostrina maintains her signature irreverent, candid, and critical tone throughout, blending humor with sharp social and historical commentary. The conversation is direct, often biting, but always willing to "poner datos en la mesa"—emphasizing facts over sanctified narratives.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode uses the recent scandal over a comedic television sketch as a springboard to explore a deeper and darker episode in Spanish cultural history: the censorship of Rocío, a documentary exposing the complex, often sordid roots of a cherished Andalusian tradition, and the brutal cost of challenging powerful interests even in supposed democracy. Through the lens of Nieves’s incisive storytelling, listeners learn how memory is shaped, suppressed, and (sometimes) reclaimed.

Interested listeners can view the original Rocío documentary on YouTube, as well as the follow-up documentary El caso Rocío (2013) for further context.