Refugees in Madrid

As a result of the stance taken by the government of General Lázaro Cárdenas following the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War (which was chiefly expressed through its open and determined support for the Republic in international forums and the shipment of arms to those fighting against the Francoist offensive), several Mexican filmmakers decided to make their own contributions on screen. Refugees in Madrid was one of the most notable of these films. It was conceived by philanthropist Francisco de la P. Cabrera at the head of a group of enthusiastic cinephiles (Marco Aurelio Galindo, Celestino Gorostiza, Mauricio de la Serna, Archibaldo Burns, among others). The film began shooting in early 1938 on sets at CLASA Studios under the direction of Alejandro Galindo, an outspoken sympathizer of leftist ideological movements.

Despite its confusing plot—largely a result of the still-undefined nature of the military conflict at the time—Galindo’s second film echoed the international policy adopted by President Cárdenas. This policy not only proclaimed the unrestricted right of asylum in Mexican diplomatic missions in Europe for those in need (a stance made sufficiently clear in the precautionary notice that appears before the film’s opening credits), but also opened the country’s doors to a considerable number of war orphans and displaced persons who would come to be known as “The Children of Morelia,” named after the city—capital of the state of Michoacán (from which the Mexican president hailed)—that was chosen to provide them the longed-for and well-deserved refuge.

Although the film also succumbed to several melodramatic conventions: for example, an asylum-seeking woman in labour appeared to be on the verge of death, but was ultimately saved at the last minute, it emerged as an example of creative maturity. This was reinforced by the impeccable cinematography of the already internationally acclaimed Gabriel Figueroa and the strong performances by Valencian actress María Conesa, brothers Fernando and Domingo Soler, Vilma Vidal, Arturo de Córdova, and Alberto Martí, among others.

Demanding critics of the time, especially Xavier Villaurrutia and Luz Alba, praised the director’s aesthetic ambitions. Refugees in Madrid had only a limited impact at the time of its release but stands as a valuable cinematic testament to an era as grim as it was unsettling.

EVA