This article was published in The Washington Post. You can read the original version here: World’s ‘smallest film festival’ is one big party — if you can get there.
The world’s smallest film festival is one big party… if you can get there
Taking a dizzying road through the Pyrenees is part of the journey to reach this small film festival in Spain. By Michael Robinson Chávez.
November 13, 2024. ASCASO, Spain — Somewhere along the winding, single-lane road with breathtaking curves through the Pyrenees, you might start questioning whether your GPS is taking you in the right direction. The endless twists, almost vertical descents, and pine forests are only interrupted by the occasional cow crossing the road. Then, this 17th-century village appears, perched on a ridge between tree-covered peaks and the Ara River valley, about 450 meters below. Ascaso consists of a series of stone buildings, including a church with its bell tower and seven houses. A screen hangs from the side of one of the two old barns. Welcome to the Ascaso Film Showcase, also known as the “smallest film festival in the world.”
The origins of the Ascaso Film Showcase
In 1997, Miguel Cordero discovered Ascaso while helping a friend find a place to live. However, the location was too remote for her, as she had children and saw school access as unfeasible, especially in winter. “She couldn’t buy the place, so I did,” Cordero says.
The idea of organizing an intimate festival to honor cinema and allow locals to watch quality films began to take shape a few years later. Cordero’s love for cinema, along with his partner Néstor Prades, led them to start a film festival where they could screen movies for their friends under the stars. “I worked for a while on an online platform for independent cinema,” says Cordero, who works for the Coslada Town Hall on the outskirts of Madrid. “I met a director from Radio 3, and with him, we started showing movies to a few friends at the Ascaso house. But we wanted to open it up.”
A festival on a human scale
Cordero said that big festivals began to fail during the 2008 financial crisis, so “we need to go back to a more human scale. That’s our philosophy.” Cordero and Prades have been organizing the event since 2012. Through a crowdfunding campaign in 2013, they were able to start the long process of transforming Ascaso into a place to show films and welcome visitors. An old barn has been converted into a bar/projection room, the food room into a “mini-cinema,” and the adjacent wheat threshing area has become the main projection space. This year’s festival featured an eclectic mix of films from Italy, France, the Palestinian territories, Spain, and Iran over five days. Don’t expect red carpets, paparazzi, glamour, or spotlights. Think more of punk-folk bands, impromptu dances, a paella party, Spanish wine tastings, and the occasional bat flying over the projection area.
A festival in the heart of the Pyrenees
There’s a small campsite for those who dare face the unpredictable weather of the Pyrenees or hotels on the hill in Boltaña, such as the Hotel & Spa Monasterio de Boltaña, which has rooms in buildings dating back to the 17th century. The coronavirus pandemic changed everything for the world’s smallest film festival. Since it was an outdoor event in the mountains, the festival continued, and people attended one of the few cultural events on the calendar. Then, in 2022, the winding road up the mountain was paved, and reliable electricity was installed. People began buying the houses, and Ascaso started to feel like a real village.
Gastronomy, music, and cinema
Apart from the paella lunch, the “community meal” that takes place on the last day, food at the top of the world consists of bocatas (sandwiches) named after famous auteur cinema films like Paris, Texas or Delicatessen. Fresh raspberries that grow wild are also available. Local wines served in proper glasses and cans of Mahou beer were also on offer. Down in the valley, excellent regional gastronomy awaits, known for lamb dishes like ternasco, a roasted suckling lamb, and views of the mountains at L’Abadía de Sieste in the village of Sieste. You’ll find grilled, simple, and tasty food (including fresh trout) at the Asador El Pajar, just down the road from the Monasterio hotel. Many visitors take advantage of the wide variety of outdoor summer sports that attract people to the mountains: hiking, swimming in rivers, fishing, rafting, mountain biking, and climbing. It won’t take long to explore the one-road village. That road, more of a path, becomes an exhibition space during the festivals. This year, a collection of photographs from everyday life in Gaza from previous years was shown. It was a way to raise awareness of the war ravaging the Palestinian enclave.
A memorable closing
The festival culminates on the fifth day with an all-day event. It begins with a wine tasting offered by a local winery. The wines from the Aragón region are robust, delicious, and little-known outside Spain. Rioja and Ribera del Duero wineries tend to dominate the global markets. Then, there’s a communal lunch, open to all, where paella is prepared in enormous pans. In true Spanish tradition, most people retire for a nap before the music begins. This year, the punk-folk band Ixera, from the Aragón region, livened up the night. The sounds of Pyrenean trumpets, bagpipes, drums covered in cowhide, and a few fireworks filled the air as people began dancing. It was a memorable moment given the splendid surroundings. The vast sky, starry at night, stretches over the projection area where the films are shown and talks with filmmakers, famous critics, and film producers take place. Cordero and Prades hope to find the resources for the 14th edition. The screening rights for a film are the same whether you’re at the top of the Pyrenees or at the Cannes beach. Volunteers make it all possible.
“Except for the projectionists,” says Cordero, “no one charges us anything. Everyone is a volunteer who makes it possible.” The film Perfect Days (2023) by Wim Wenders closed the festival this year. It was a very fitting choice. For many of the participants, the festival was just that: five perfect days spent having a good time watching great films in a spectacular and unexpected setting.
“The festival’s goals are to revive the village and make friends and people fall in love with cinema again,” concludes Cordero. “We show movies you have to go to Zaragoza to see. It’s a big family, and it’s a very nice moment when we share, work in the village, watch films together, and the rest of the year we’re all working to make it happen again.”
