PORT BOU – 18 FRAGMENTS FOR WALTER BENJAMIN
A film by Ross Birrell and David Harding (30 minutes)
In September 1940 Walter Benjamin escaped from France by crossing the Pyrenees into Spain.
Fleeing fascism he was detained by the Spanish authorities in order to be returned to France.
He took his own life and was buried in the cliff-top cemetery of Port Bou.
A profound and moving memorial to Walter Benjamin is to be found in Port Bou, Spain, just over the border from France. A conversation with Ross Birrell about filming Benjamin’s walk over the Pyrenees as an artwork led to planning a visit to Port Bou to make a film.
The film was shot on a basic digital video camera, hand held and with a tripod. Only the footage that was shot has been used. Only the sounds that were captured have been used. No other material has been cut into it. The language is mainly Spanish. What you get is what we got.