Crossing Moisés leaves a lasting impression. At 32 he set himself on fire in the heart of Madrid in 2010. He survived, yet the scars on his face and body remain visible. Fourteen years later, Moisés becomes the central figure of Al Margen, the documentary Eduardo Casanova has spent six years shaping. It premiered at Atlàntida Mallorca Film Fest in July and was shown at Rizoma last week. The film arrives this Friday on Filmin, described by its director as the capstone of a trilogy that began with Pieles, his directorial debut, and continued with La Piedad, presented at the Seville European Film Festival in 2022.
The incident near the Paseo de la Castellana dominated headlines. The tried phrase about not knowing the motives behind the act kept appearing in reports. Witnesses say he poured a liter of gasoline and ignited it with a lighter. Moisés’s version argues he was an induced subject of MK Ultra, a clandestine mind-control program developed and run by the CIA. The contrasting accounts frame a larger debate about memory, truth, and the boundaries of testimony.
Moisés claims he burned himself because he was an induced subject of MK Ultra, a mind-control program run by the CIA, a point Casanova references in conversations about the film and its subject. Doctors talk of schizophrenia, and so does his sister, who narrows in on the most troubling themes with a voice that comes from a mind long wounded. Moisés, by contrast, adheres to the conspiracy narrative, saying he belongs to a group of people subjected to external forces, linked in his view to public figures like Amy Winehouse and others connected to the MK Ultra project.
Is Moisés a victim or a perpetrator? In an interview with El Correo de Andalucía, Casanova emphasizes that he is not there to judge Moisés but to give him a voice. The film portrays the protagonist of a true story while offering a raw glimpse into the abyss of mental health, a subject that resonates especially with those marginalized or expelled by the system. Casanova notes that Moisés is a recognizable presence along Madrid’s Gran Via, similar to the street personalities in Callao. People notice him; we notice him; yet few know his story. The narrative also includes his sister, his ex-wife, and his daughter, along with references to The Fire Dance from El Amor Brujo by Manuel de Falla.
Casanova, naturally curious and restless — I have a magnet for this kind of people — crossed paths with Moisés six years ago on the metro and decided to tell his story. Throughout the process, he has learned to reframe his role: I am not a psychologist, nor a psychiatrist, nor can I save him, nor am I a social worker; there have been moments of confusion, and I have learned to understand my place in this conversation.
A Work with Its Own Signature
The film grounds itself in the margins, the dissidents, the families that are toxic or dependent, and the weight society exerts on bodies and lives that do not fit the norm. These are the pillars of Casanova’s distinctly personal approach, a method that makes the film’s tone feel unmistakably his own.
Moisés, in fact, helped spark Casanova’s filmography. When they met, the encounter inspired the character played by Jon Kortajarena in Pieles, the young man with a burned face who reveals that the color pink is not exclusive to brands or beauty but also holds space for those whom society would rather overlook. The director reflects on the challenge of engaging an audience: not everyone wants to, can, or is prepared to see you. That sentiment, voiced by Moisés’s sister, may be among the clearest statements about the film’s intent and impact.
Without revealing spoilers, following the life story of Moisés — in his family life, finances, and addictions — serves as a reminder of the sheer luck of being alive. The documentary invites viewers to witness a life that is at once personal and universally resonant, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit even when faced with stigma and hardship.