The documentary La cifra negra de la violencia institucional, directed by Ales Payá, won the Audience Award at the 16th San Sebastián Human Rights Film Festival. Produced in 2018 on a budget of €5,000, the work delves into human rights violations committed by public officials responsible for the custody of detainees and prisoners in the Spanish State.
Through around thirty cases, the film examines the conditions in which torture and ill-treatment occur, the barriers to reporting them, and the consequences for both the victims and the perpetrators. The cases analysed include those of Iñigo Cabacas, Unai Romano and Martxelo Otamendi.
The documentary features testimonies from public officials and experts such as the emeritus judge and former mayor of Madrid, Manuela Carmena; the former Basque Minister of the Interior, Rodolfo Ares; magistrate Joaquim Bosch; and the Catalan Ombudsman, Rafael Ribó. The account is completed by the voices of police officers, lawyers, human rights activists and actors such as Willy Toledo, Isak Férriz and Gorka Lasaosa, who take part in reenactments of facts established in court.
The work revolves around fundamental questions: “Under what conditions does torture take place in the Spanish State? Why is it so difficult to report it? What consequences does it have for the victims and for those who break the law?” La cifra negra de la violencia institucional not only exposes an uncomfortable reality, but also calls the very rule of law into question by highlighting the impunity that perpetuates these violations.
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Empatik Films (2018). LA CIFRA NEGRA de la violencia institucional. https://empatikfilms.com/la-cifra-negra/
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El Diario Vasco (2018). ‘La cifra negra’ gana el 16 Festival de Cine y Derechos Humanos de Donostia. https://www.diariovasco.com/culturas/cifra-negra-festival-derechos-humanos-20180427151803-nt.html
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Todo Por Hacer (2020). La Cigra Negra. https://www.todoporhacer.org/cifra-negra/