"A Return to Anoia's Past" was shot in different locations in Catalonia, namely: Vallbona d'Anoia, Igualada, Colònia Güell, Sitges and Montserrat (Spain) between December 2021 and May 2022 with the participation of the students from all the partner schools of our Erasmus TV International project.

However the preparation of the film started in June 2021, when during a meeting of the Catalan Erasmus students at school, we gave them the instructions of their summer task on our Google Classroom for the Erasmus Creativity Club.

These were the instructions:

Instructions_Erasmus_short_film_21_22 (1).pdf

In October and November 2021, we had several sessions of work with students where those students who had written their script for the film presented it to their peers and then in 4 small groups, they started working on each of the scenes and making a final script with the plans, costume and art directions.

Photo 1 - Working on the scripts

Originally, the idea was to shoot the film in Vallbona d'Anoia, Igualada and Barcelona, but our final agenda and last-hour changes of plans made us modify the scene locations a little bit. Thus, we substituted Barcelona for Sitges, and also one of the scenes in Vallbona were finally shot in Montserrat.

Also, the day we were to record scene 8 and 9 (24 May 2022) in Museu de la Pell and Casa de la Festa - that is, the scene when Erasmus students take the precious dye to Tonet and Conxita in order to fulfill Mr Güell's order and finally travel back to the present time - there was a thundery storm with heavy rain and students and teachers who were doing a walking ghymkana in Igualada ended up so soaked that we couldn't film any scenes. Weather conditions forced us to cancel the shooting.

In addition, on 25 May 2022, we were to record in Montserrat the Bandits 2 scene (when students give the bandits the safe-conduit and free Manel) and one of our main actresses featuring Marina became ill and couldn't be on that scene. We saved the situation by asking our Marina (Eva B.) to record the final scene from home since she was ill in bed.

This is a collection of photographs from the scenes:

SCENE 1 - CASA DE LA FESTA IN IGUALADA

Erasmus students visit Casa de la Festa and Museu de la Pell in Igualada with their teachers. They meet the favourite processional giants "Conxita, the Weaver" and "Tonet, the Tanner". Some students provoke a journey to the past.

Scene 1 was recorded on 16 December 2021.

Photo 2 - "Conxita, the weaver"  and "Tonet, the tanner".

Photo 3 - Students observing the big-heads and processional giants in Casa de la Festa.

Photo 4 - Someone has pushed the "danger button"

SCENE 2 - CAN GRANOTES MUSEUM IN IGUALADA

Students travel back in time to the beginning of the 20th century. When they wake up at a tannery, they have become tanners and weavers and meet their heads, Marina and Manel who are Conxita and Tonet's assistants.

After the first moments of surprise, they adapt to the new situation as workers and hear Manel and Marina's proposing them to walk to Barcelona to acquire a very expensive blue Prussian dye for a special order by Mr Eusebi Güell.

Scene 2 was recorded on 16 December 2021.

Photo 5 - Marina and the other weavers.

Photo 6 - Manel and his assistants.

SCENE 3 - VALLBONA D'ANOIA - BANDITS 1 SCENE

Marina and Manel start their journey to Barcelona. In Vallbona d'Anoia they are suddenly assaulted by a gang of bandits who kidnap Manel, who will only be returned safe and sound if they stop in Colònia Güell and pick up a safe-conduct for the bandits. This safe-conduit must be signed by a corrupted politican in Sitges, which will be very convenient because Barcelona is all of a sudden in lockdown because of a pandemic. The trade for the blue Pussian dye has been moved from Barcelona to the Sitges port.

The bandits threaten them to cut off Manel's fingers unless if they bring the safe-conduit on time. Some of the bandits will accompany the group to Colònia Güell to make sure they pick up the safe-conduit.

Scene 3 was recorded on 24 May 2022 with the participation of all the European and local students in the meeting.

Photo 7 - Students walking to the forest near the school in order to shoot the "Bandits 1 scene"

SCENE 4 - COLÒNIA GÜELL

The group walks till Colònia Güell, an industrialised village with textile factories belonging to Mr Eusebi Güell and the beautiful crypt designed by Antoni Gaudí. In the crypt, they priest gives them the safe-conduit for the bandits which needs to be signed in Sitges in order to be valid. Some bandits are there with the group and they will keep Manel till the group takes the safe-conduit signed back. They are to meet in Montserrat. Manel's fingers will be in risk to be cut off if the group doesn't bring the signed safe-conduit on time.

In Colònia Güell we can meet the textile workers and their social life in their free time.

These scenes were recorded on 14 December 2021 with the participation of the Catalan Erasmus students.

Photo 8 - Students arriving at Gaudí's Crypt in Colònia Güell.

Photo 9 - Images of the inside of the crypt with the wooden benches and the spectacular volcanic rock and brick columns.

Photo 10 - Details of the stained-glass windows.

Photo 11 - Our students on different scenes.

SCENE 5 - SITGES - THE SEAMEN SCENES

The group arrives in Sitges, a beautiful seaside town near Barcelona. They need to buy the blue Prussian dye from the seamen by the sea.

In addition, they are to meet the corrupted politician who is going to sign the safe-conduit for the bandits.

The group already has the blue Prussian dye for Conxita and Tonet and also the safe-conduit signed for the bandits. It's time to walk back to Igualada and meet the bandits who keep Manel in Montserrat in order to free him and return to Igualada.

The scenes were recorded on the beach of "La fragata", and the mermaid near the church of Saint Bartolomé and Saint Tecla in Sitges on 23 May 2022.

Photo 12 - Preparing the scene of the seamen on the beach "La Fragata"

Photo 13 - Group photo on the stairs of the church of Saint Bartolomé and Saint Tecla.

SCENE 6 - MONTSERRAT. BANDITS 2 SCENE

The group meets the bandits who are kidnapping Manel in Montserrat and they exchange the safe-conduit for Manel, who is safe and sound and is finally free.

They are happy to be together again and walk back home in Igualada.

The scenes were recorded in Montserrat mountain range on 25 May 2022 with the participation of all the European and Catalan Erasmus students in the meeting.

Photo 14 - Shooting in Montserrat

SCENE 7 - MARINA'S BEDROOM

Once the ordeal of the group is solved, Marina suddenly wakes up in her bedroom and realises all the trip to the past has been a very realistic dream of hers.

Photo 15 - Kilian A., Eva B. (Marina) and Xavi M. (Manel) in a scene in Colònia Güell.

Local and European students truly enjoyed shooting and participated willingly. Vallbona students trained their creative skills to write story and the script of the short film and prepared the scarves (red ones for the bandits and blue ones for the seamen).

The film was the perfect excuse to show part of our cultural heritage to our European partners and allowed local and visiting students to work together, discover their acting skills and make strong bonds of friendship and complicity.