Laborfest: Films on Spanish Civil War-First Fight against Fascism

The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939, was the first battleground against Hitler and Mussolini, defending the new Spanish Republic that overthrew King Alfonso the 13th in 1931 against General Franco, who was aided by the Nazis. The US claimed to be neutral, but the workers of the world knew that neutrality was complicity with fascism and thousands joined the International Brigades, including the American Abraham Lincoln Brigade, to aid the Spanish Republic. They lost this battle, but they won their place in history and thanks to them and the millions more who fought fascism in WW2, we are here to remember and learn from their struggles with 2 outstanding movies:

(1) To Die In Madrid (58 min) 1963 By Frederic Rossif
This documentary from newsreel clips by Frederic Rossif shows the horror, disillusion and bravery of the Spanish Civil War. This masterpiece documentary is one of the most powerful made. Starring: Narrators John Gielgud and Irene Worth, William Hutt, George Gonneau, Suzanne Flon
Awards:
Robert Flaterly Award for Best Feature Length Documentary - 1967 British Academy Awards; Nominated: 1965 Academy Awards

(2) Into The Fire - American Women In The Spanish Civil War
(58 min) 2002 By Julia Newman (She will be attending)
Over 80 women joined the fight during the Spanish Civil War. This illuminating film interviews 16 of these women on why they went to Spain and what they did there. This rich story of their lives and experiences in Spain adds an important addition to our understanding of US and women’s history.
Renee Gibbons will perform.
DVD at:
http://firstrunfeatures.com/intothefiredvd.html
Event co-sponsored by Veterans of The Abraham Lincoln Brigade
See also:
Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade:
http://www.alba-valb.org/
National Monument to VALB at Justin Herman Plaza, behind fountain on Embarcadero near Market that is a must see:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jmsfrnndz/JamesDFernNdezSanFranciscoALBAMonument
and
http://www.laborfest.net/2008schedule.htm