Ramón J. Sender’s most emblematic novel and a classic of Spanish literature with great international impact. In rural Spain divided by the Civil War, a peasant who becomes the leader of the people challenges the landowners and the established power, but his fate will be marked by the accusation of his former spiritual guide.
During the Spanish Civil War, in the heart of a small village, the story begins in a silent sacristy, where Mosén Millán, an elderly parish priest, waits to officiate the requiem mass for Paco el del Molino, a peasant murdered a year earlier. No one from the village attends. Only three powerful men appear: Don Valeriano, Don Gumersindo, and Cástulo Pérez—symbols of local power and accomplices in the tragedy.
As he waits, the priest relives Paco’s life through his memories. From his baptism—performed by the priest himself—to his restless childhood, shaped by his friendship with the republican shoemaker and by a decisive revelation: a visit to a miserable cave where a dying man lay in absolute poverty. That discovery of social injustice would mark Paco forever.
The boy grew into a respected man, married to Águeda and deeply committed to his community. After the proclamation of the Republic, he was elected town councillor and led a courageous struggle against the privileges of the duke, an absentee landowner. He defended the peasants and ensured that livestock could graze freely on lands for which they had previously been forced to pay. With this act, Paco became the voice of the village’s dignity in the face of the abuses of power.
But his defiance provoked retaliation. The landowners returned with a group of armed outsiders who imposed terror. The killings began: humble peasants, councillors, and even the shoemaker were executed. Paco, now hunted, went into hiding in the Pardinas. His whereabouts eventually reached Mosén Millán, who—pressured by the new rulers and convinced that Paco would receive a fair trial—revealed the information.
The priest went to speak with Paco, promising him safety if he surrendered. Paco, trusting the man who had guided him since childhood, agreed to give himself up. But the promise was a trap: he was arrested and, that very afternoon, taken to the cemetery along with two other innocent men. Mosén Millán accompanied him to administer the last rites. With his final breath, Paco looked him in the eyes and accused him of betrayal before being executed by firing squad.
One year later, the priest celebrates the requiem mass in an empty church. No one from the village wishes to take part. Only the men responsible for the tragedy are present. Trapped by guilt and memory, Mosén Millán prays for the soul of the young man who, from baptism to execution, had been like a spiritual son to him.
RELEVANT INFORMATION: Ramón J. Sender was, in addition to being a journalist, one of the most important Spanish writers of the 20th century and the recipient of the National Prize for Literature in 1935. Forced into exile after the Civil War, he spent most of his life in Mexico and the United States.
Requiem for a Spanish Peasant is a short novel that combines an intimate narrative with a historical backdrop of immense dramatic power. The life and death of Paco el del Molino become a symbol of social injustice and repression in rural Spain during the Civil War. The narrative arc offers a journey filled with tension, emotion, and moral conflict, featuring dense and complex characters. The work holds enormous audiovisual potential as a historical drama or as a production exploring memory and repression.
AUDIOVISUAL POTENTIAL: TV Series, Miniseries, Feature Film, TV Movie.
AVAILABLE LANGUAGES: Spanish, English, Arabic, French, German, Turkish, Polish, Dutch, Italian, Greek, Hungarian, Aragonese.
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