The Catalan cultural organization Òmnium Cultural has released a new video to mark the end of 2018 - just a matter of weeks before the trial of the Catalan independence leaders is expected to begin - and to call once again for the release of the prisoners.
The video, disarmingly simple and yet effective, was published by the pro-independence civil group on its social media accounts, noting that they had recorded the "longest spot in history, as well as the shortest." To understand what they mean by that, it's best to watch the video (before consulting the spoilers that follow):
A practically stationary shot of a cell is all that appears in the spot. The walls are bare and the colour grey predominates. It lasts 25 seconds, with a low background buzz. Finally, a message appears: "If these 25 seconds have seemed long, imagine spending 25 years here."
Òmnium invites viewers to imagine themselves in the cell for 25 years for "having permitted a debate, called a protest or defended a vote" - as the imprisoned pro-independence movement leaders did. The video ends with a positive message: "Imagine now leaving with your ideals intact."
Hem fet l'espot més llarg de la història.
— Òmnium Cultural (@omnium) December 31, 2018
I el més breu #SempreEndavant pic.twitter.com/6LEx6ce1Vq
With this end-of-year visual message, Òmnium Cultural wants to denounce the unjust situation that the nine Catalan political prisoners have had to endure for more than a year and "the trial of democracy that is about to begin," as the group says in a press release. On the austere aesthetics of the video, Òmnium adds that "the sobriety of the image and the absence of sound or voice-over, is an attempt to bring home just how harsh prison is."
The final message of the spot echoes the words of Òmnium Cultual president Jordi Cuixart (who himself is one of the nine Catalan leaders imprisoned): "Prison will never make us give up our ideals and political goals." Ciuxart retweeted the video with this message:
Lluitar 38.188.800 segons des de la presó per la llibertat és un privilegi. Per un 2019 ple de dignitat i coratge. Sempre endavant! pic.twitter.com/FsyyNrkL2R
— Jordi Cuixart (@jcuixart) December 31, 2018
Translation: Fighting for 38,188,800 seconds from prison for freedom is a privilege. To a 2019 full of dignity and courage. Always keep moving forward!— Jordi Cuixart
Cuixart's 38,188,800 seconds are more easily appreciated as 442 days, the time elapsed since he and Catalan National Assembly leader Jordi Sànchez were imprisoned on 16th October, 2017. The injustice of their pretrial jailing, and the inappropriateness of the severe charges against them, have been widely denounced internationally.