The animated film “Winnipeg, el barco de la esperanza” of Beñat Beitia and Elio Quiroga is set in Spain and focuses on one of the most remarkable rescue voyages of the Spanish exile of 1939. The work tells the story of the Winnipeg’s crossing, which was equipped at the initiative and with the logistical assistance of Pablo Neruda — then Chile’s special consul for Spanish immigration in Paris. The directors stress its relevance today: “The memory of that flight forces us to ask which ports we are willing to open today,” Beñat Beitia told elDiario.es.
The route is well documented historically. According to matching archival records from the Fundación Pablo Neruda and the Memoria Chilena the ship left the French port of Pauillac on 4 August 1939, with around 2,200 Spanish Republicans on board. On 30 August 1939, the Winnipeg reached Arica on Chile’s northern coast; the following day it set course for central Chile and docked in Valparaíso in early September. The crossing was prepared by aid organisations and Chilean authorities; the aim was to ensure the refugees’ safe onward journey and integration in Chile.
The production is a co-production between Spain, Chile and Argentina. In 2026 it was selected for the Contrechamp section of the Festival d’Annecy highlighting its animated format and international outlook. In Spain, RTVE is supporting the film’s release with an official trailer published in early July. The Spanish Culture Ministry’s ICAA catalogue lists the film and confirms key production details.
In terms of content, “Winnipeg, el barco de la esperanza” draws on eyewitness accounts and research into the passengers’ lives. The film follows the journey of a trade unionist and his young daughter, set against the wider context of Republican exile after the coup forces’ victory. Its narrative avoids romanticising events and maintains a distinction between documented facts and artistic interpretation; predictions about political consequences are clearly presented as the filmmakers’ contemporary readings.
The story has a twofold significance for Spain: it recalls the international solidarity once shown to Spanish refugees, and touches on current debates about flight, borders and Europe’s responsibilities. The fact that the voyage’s dates—from Pauillac on 4 August 1939 to its arrival in Valparaíso in early September—are consistent across several independent archives lends additional authority to the film’s reconstruction, without obscuring the work’s character as an artistic interpretation.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).