Aguaviva

Aguaviva in the Teruel region of Spain was a village on the verge of extinction. Its population was in decline. The old people were getting older and the young people were leaving for the larger towns. In order to stem the flow away from the village and fill its empty houses the mayor decided to invite people from around the world to move to Aguaviva. Surprisingly his international campaign was successful and soon people from across the globe started to arrive in the region and revitalise the community. Pujol’s film explores the relationship between the native inhabitants of Aguaviva and the Argentineans, Rumanians, Chileans and other foreigners who chose to build their lives there as they share their experiences, opinions and hopes of living side by side. The coexistence of the newcomers and those who were born and bred in the village is not without its tensions but the region is filled with new life and there is hope for Aguaviva’s future. (DOK.fest München)