Ocaña, an Intermittent Portrait

This year, Spain is celebrating 50 years of La Movida, the cultural liberation movement that exploded after the death of General Francisco Franco in 1975, reaching its apotheosis in the productions of the (Madrid) underground scene of liberated filmmakers, artists, designers, club owners and theatre makers.

1970s Barcelona also had an active underground scene that revolted against the Catholic oppression of the fascist Franco regime.

Toying with identity

The movement’s figurehead was the Andalusian performance artist, painter and queer activist José Pérez Ocaña (1947 - 1983). After Franco’s death he became a regular sight on the Ramblas, clad in exuberant, gender-transcending outfits. Pérez Ocaña played with identities, argued in favour of sexual freedom and expressed his theatrical personality in paintings, performances and activism.

Gay Catalan theatre and filmmaker Pons Ventura (1945 - 2024) decided to shoot a documentary about his conspicuous compatriot. Ventura’s first film production was immediately selected for the prestigious Un Certain Regard selection at the Cannes Film Festival and was lauded for its innovative approach. Ventura opted for an ‘interrupted’ film: excerpts depict images that seem to sprout from Pérez Ocaña’s subconscious, fed by Catholic aesthetics, fetishism and Spanish street theatre, which the grotesque plays a major role in.

La Movida

To commemorate 50 years of La Movida, Eye will also screen three other films: Arrebato (Iván Zulueta), Pepi, Luci, Bom… and Matador (Pedro Almodóvar). There will also be a round table: 'Movida - 50th anniversary of the [sic] Spanish Transition Cinema' (Tuesday 2 December 2025). On 7 December, Eye will be organising a public conversation between Tilda Swinton and Pedro Almódovar about their cinematic collaborations.

Ocaña, an Intermittent Portrait was restored by Filmoteca de Catalunya

The screenings are organised in collaboration with the Spanish embassy in the Netherlands.