Description
The flames of the never-ending bullfighting controversy were fanned recently when the Barcelona Council declared the city against the “sport”.
Spanish intellectuals and artists penned incendiary manifestoes in defence of the tradition – signatures were collected at many bullrings all over Spain in protest at the symbolic ban. King Juan Carlos even made a brief statement in defence of the “national tradition”.
For the anti-bullfighting movement it was a boost which has encouraged them to take the issue to the Catalan Parliament to try and make the motion legally binding, like the ban in the Canary Islands.
In this documentary, Taking the Bull by the Horns, we interview both defender & detractors. Serafin Marin, a famous Catalan bullfighter, claims the tradition is as Catalan as it is Spanish. The film follows him as he trains and talks about the difficulties of being a matador in Catalonia.
A young promising bullfighter, Elisabet Pinero, explains how the thrill of the sport blinds her to its gory side. The controversy reached a high point at recent celebrations in Olot where bullfighting had been banned for a few years and has now been legalised once again.
Protestors for and against were filmed in simultaneous demonstrations. Everyone has a say in the controversy – businessmen, shepherds, journalists, farmers, fans, rock musicians, animal lovers, even philosophers argue about a tradition which some see as on its way out, while others say is making a splendid comeback.
NOTE: This film was made before bullfighting was banned in Catalonia in 2012.