Spanish Steps: Flamenco In A Foreign Land is a warm-hearted documentary about how Britain caught the flamenco bug. Elders of the flamenco scene recount how they fell into the world of Spanish dance which shaped their lives and influenced future generations. Personal stories are told against a vivid backdrop of archive footage & photos as well as contemporary flamenco.
Flamenco was one of those imports that helped lift the gloom, and captured the imagination of a sizeable number of Londoners. They joined up with Spanish expats who had fled life under Franco, and a burgeoning flamenco scene soon took hold, particularly in Soho.
With no narrator, the film tells its story in the words of those dancers (watch trailer). Anna was a journalist before embarking on a career in theatre and scriptwriting, and her eye for a good story means her documentary is packed with fascinating anecdotes and reminiscences, some of them inspiring and touching, others simply amusing.
Screening to be followed by a Q&A session with Anna Holmes (Producer and Director) and Vera King of the Peña Flamenca de Londres.
Admission free; RSVP required here.
This event is a collaboration between Instituto Cervantes, Modern Language Centre King’s College and Flamenco Fix Radio.
