Catalan Literature and Film History: Riba, Arderiu, Espriu

History and Techniques of Film

The history of cinema began in 1895 when the Lumière brothers presented the cinematograph. Initially, the first movies were documentaries. Later, Georges Méliès began using film to tell fictional stories.

Decisive moments in film evolution included the incorporation of sound and color. Cinema combines visual and auditory elements, including dialogue, music, and sound effects.

Narrative Techniques in Film

• Voice-over: A character talks about the projected image without intervening in the action.
• Temporal Devices: Techniques used include ellipses, flashbacks, and simultaneous actions.

Types of Shots (Plans)

• Extreme Long Shot (Major General Plan): Shows a very small human figure, emphasizing the setting.
• Full Shot (Plan-Set): Shows the full human figure, typically demonstrating an action.
• American Shot (Plan American): Frames the human figure just below the knees.
• Medium Shot (Plan Rating): Frames the human figure from the waist up, often used to capture people's reactions.
• Close-up (Foreground): Focuses on the face of a person to convey feelings.
• Extreme Close-up (Level of Detail): A very close shot focusing on a specific detail or a particular part of the character's face.

Carles Riba (1893–1959)

Born in 1893 and died in 1959 in Barcelona, Carles Riba was a prominent Noucentiste and a model man of letters, dedicated to intellectual pursuits. He returned from exile later in life.

His poetry, known for its high level of difficulty, includes works such as:

• Stay Out (First book)
• Three Suites
• Game Fire
• Elegies de Bierville
• Wild Heart
• Sketch Three Oratorios

Riba was a dedicated humanist who spent most of his life translating and disseminating important literary works.

Clementina Arderiu (1889–1976)

Born in Barcelona (1889–1976), Clementina Arderiu was the wife of Carles Riba. She wrote intimate poetry that captures the experience marked by the pain and hardship of exile and the postwar period.

In 1916, she published her first book, Songs and Elegies. Other notable works include:

• The High Freedom
• Singing Words
• Embodies the Hope

Arderiu's predominant themes are: love, joy, fear, death, and pain.

Salvador Espriu (1913–1985)

Born in Santa Coloma de Farners (1913) and died in Barcelona (1985). Espriu had just graduated when the Spanish Civil War broke out.

The deaths of his father and his best friend profoundly overshadowed his life and his 30 years of literary work. He began by publishing stories:

• Dr. Rip
• Phaedra and Leticia (works closer to the civil conflict)

Espriu later transitioned to writing poetry, where the predominant theme is death. Notable poetic works include Mrs. Death and Ending the Maze. This body of work culminates in the theatrical piece: Round Sinera Death.