Defence of Madrid

Directed by Ivor Montagu

This cinematic travelogue consists of three parts. In the first part, texts and small maps are our guides through Madrid in 1936. We see pictures of daily life against the background of the fascist shillings. A sad portrait of destroyed houses, the search for survivors under the rubble, and children's corpses in small wooden coffins. Central to the second part is the defence of liberty. Images from the front alternate with fragments of the besieged city. The last part deals with the aid given to and still needed by the town; an appeal is made to give money for medicines. This film breathes an unfaltering belief in a favourable close: unconditional victory. At the time, the film was a great success and yielded a lot of money for medical aid to Spain.