Manifesta purposely strives to keep its distance from what are often seen as the dominant centres of artistic production, instead seeking fresh and fertile terrain for the mapping of a new cultural topography.
Abed Anouti, LB
As a documentary maker, Abed Anouti witnessed the harshness of the Lebanese civil war (1975-1992). The Shadow of San Antón looks into the traumatic parallels between what took place in Anoutis native city of Beirut and in the Spanish city of Cartagena. Post-war trauma still overshadows both societies. To erase the memory of war, Lebanon launched a reconciliation process. In his film, Anouti questions why Spanish society agreed on a pact of silence and chose self-enforced amnesia. He explores the hidden memories of San Antón prison, a historic building with a silent history, a place which played a significant role during the years 1936-1975. On Tuesday June 22nd, 2010 the authorities of Cartagena decided to shut down the San Antón prison permanently.