Republic

Claudio Stassi evokes the darkness and harsh rural life under a dictatorial regime in this powerful homage to freedom

What if a hidden reel of film could unlock a nation's suppressed memory? Based on true events, Republic takes as its starting point the astonishing 2008 discovery of a sound film documenting the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic—originally shot by Fox Movietone and hidden for decades in a secret compartment in the mayor’s house in a remote village.

From this historical thread, Claudio Stassi weaves a powerful fictional narrative set in 1943 in a rural town. At its heart are two children, Manolo and Isabel, whose families—loyal to  Republican ideals—face brutal repression under a Fascist regime. Through their eyes, we witness a community unravel under institutional violence and silence, as whispers of the maquis grow into resistance, and the memory of freedom lingers, however dangerously.

Praised for its emotional depth and quiet power, Republic humanizes the victims of repression while offering a vivid depiction of everyday life under a brutal dictatorship. Through this child’s innocent perspective, Claudio Stassi weaves a powerful homage to freedom, memory, and the fragile strength of those who resist in silence.