La Graciosa - Canary Island Dreams

We have known La Graciosa—officially recognized as the eighth Canary Island—since 1994. This is a status for which the approximately 600 permanent residents, who live together in a single village, fought for many years. Who could have imagined back then the dramatic changes the population of La Graciosa would undergo in the three decades that followed? La Graciosa is a unique microcosm. The film’s protagonists are the various inhabitants of the village—people with whom we have built a relationship of trust over the years. Through them, the film highlights important, topical social issues: gender equality, the importance of municipal autonomy, nature and environmental conservation, the development of alternative forms of eco-tourism, questions of social coexistence, respect for the achievements of the older generation, and the loss of traditions. It is a declaration of love to the joie de vivre and the resilient spirit of the islanders—who, much like a certain famous Gallic village, defend themselves with combativeness and ingenuity against the higher authorities of Lanzarote, the regional government of the Canary Islands, and the central government of Spain. And, more broadly: does paradise exist on Earth? Not all dreams can come true...