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 in the Pyrenees is part of the journey to reach the small film festival in Spain.
By Michael Robinson Chávez
13 November 2024
ASCASO, Spain — Somewhere along the winding, single-lane road through the Pyrenees, you might start to question whether your GPS is taking you in the right direction. The endless curves, almost vertical descents and pine forests are only interrupted by a cow crossing the road.
Then comes this 17th-century village, perched atop a ridge between tree-covered peaks and the Ara River valley some 1,500 feet below. Ascaso consists of a series of stone buildings, including a church with its bell tower and seven houses. A screen hangs on the side of one of the two old stables.
Welcome to the Ascaso Film Festival, 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 look for a place to live. However, the location was too remote for her, who had children and found school access unfeasible, especially in winter.
“She couldn’t buy the place, so I did it,” says Cordero.
The idea of organizing an intimate festival that would pay tribute to cinema and allow locals to see quality films began to take shape a few years later. Cordero’s love for cinema prompted him, along with his partner, Néstor Prades, to start a film festival where they could screen films for their friends under the stars.
“I was working for a while on an online platform for independent cinema,” says Cordero, who works in the Coslada town hall, on the outskirts of Madrid. “I met a director from Radio 3, and with him we started showing films to a few friends at Ascaso’s house. But we wanted to open it.”
A festival on a human scale
Follow Cordero said that large festivals began to fail during the 2008 financial crisis, so “we have to return to a more human scale. “That is our philosophy.”
Cordero and Prades have organized the event since 2012. Through a crowdfunding campaign in 2013, they were able to begin the long process of transforming Ascaso into a place to show films and receive visitors.
An old stable has been turned into a bar/screening room, the feeding room into a “mini-cinema”, and the adjacent wheat threshing area has become the main screening area. 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, glitter or spotlights. Think more punk-folk bands, impromptu dances, a paella party, Spanish wine tastings and the occasional bat flying around the screening area.
A festival in the heart of the Pyrenees
There is a small campsite for those who dare with the unpredictable climate of the Pyrenees or hotels on the hill in Boltaña, such as the Hotel & Spa Monasterio de Boltaña, which has rooms in buildings dating from the 17th century.
The coronavirus pandemic changed everything for the world’s smallest film festival. Because it was an outdoor event in the middle of the mountains, the event went ahead, and people turned out for 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 to buy the houses, and Ascaso began to have the feel of a real town.
Gastronomy, music, and cinema
Apart from the paella lunch, the “popular meal” that occurs on the last day, the food at the top of the world consists of sandwiches with the names of famous arthouse films such as “Paris, Texas” or “Delicatessen”. You can also pick fresh raspberries that grow wild. Local wines served in appropriate glasses and cans of Mahou beer were also available.
In the valley below, you will find excellent cuisine from the region, known for its lamb dishes, such as ternasco, a roast suckling lamb, and mountain views at L’Abadía de Sieste, in the town of Sieste. You’ll find simple, tasty grilled food (including fresh trout) at Asador El Pajar, just down the road from the Monasterio hotel.
Many visitors take advantage of the wide variety of outdoor summer sports that draw many to the mountains: hiking, river swimming, fishing, rafting, mountain biking and climbing.
It won’t take you long to explore the one-road town. That road, more like a path, becomes an exhibition space during festivals. This year a collection of photographs of daily life in Gaza from years past was presented. It was a way to raise awareness about the war that is decimating the Palestinian enclave.
A memorable closing
The festival culminates on the fifth day with an all-day event. Start with a wine tasting offered by a local winery. The wines of the Aragon region are robust, delicious and, outside of Spain, little known. Rioja and Ribera del Duero wineries tend to dominate world markets.
Then there is a community lunch, open to all, where paella is prepared in huge pans. In true Spanish tradition, most retire for a nap before the music starts. This year, the punk-folk group Ixera, from the Aragon region, livened up the night. Pyrenean trumpets, bagpipes, cowhide-covered drums and more than a few fireworks filled the air as people got excited to dance. It was a memorable moment given the splendid surroundings.
The big sky, dotted with stars at night, extends over the screening area where films are presented and talks are held with filmmakers, famous critics and film producers. Cordero and Prades hope to find the resources for the 14th edition. The rights to screen a film are the same whether you are at the top of the Pyrenees or on the beach in Cannes. Volunteers make it possible.
“Except for the projectionists,” says Cordero, “no one charges us anything. “They are all volunteers who make it possible.”
The film “Perfect Days” (2023) by Wim Wenders closed the festival this year. It was a very appropriate choice. For many of the participants, the festival was just that: five perfect days spending a good time watching great films in a spectacular and unexpected setting.
“The objectives of the festival are to revive the town and make friends and people fall in love with cinema again,” concludes Cordero. “We show films that you have to go to Zaragoza to see. It is a great family and a very nice moment when we share, work in the town, watch movies together, and the rest of the year we are all working to make it happen again.”
