Premier of the Eva Vila documentary, “Bajarí”

In this film, the gypsy community in Barcelona is portrayed from the point of view of two principal stories. Juanito Manzano is a boy who aspires to become a dancer and relies on the help of his uncle, Coco, a legendary singer in the tablaos, or flamenco venues, throughout the city. The other story concerns the journey of Karime Amaya, granddaughter of the famous dancer Carmen Amaya, who moves to the city to learn her grandmother’s steps. She is joined by her mother, Mercedes Amaya, “Winny”, to prepare a performance alongside the best of the best from the Catalan capital.

Bajarí  has already been presented in a number of festivals to notable success. In the film, Eva Vila approaches the sense of belonging to a particular community, the Catalan gypsies, while “delving into the side of Barcelona that, while hidden, has always existed, and reflecting on the universal sense of belonging to somewhere”. This exploration of a very specific environment is not new to Vila. Her previous documentary, B-side: La cara B de la música en Barcelona (The B-side of Barcelona music), explored the city’s community of musicians and their varied origins.