Fifteen years ago, Albert Rodriguez and Rafael Cobos, collaborators who devoted themselves to shaping the screenplay, began documenting the plight of inmates in two of Spain’s most notorious prisons from the final years of the Franco era. The Modelo barcelonés and the Carabanchel model in Madrid became the focal points as they gathered an extensive archive of testimonies and firsthand accounts detailing the brutal conditions, brutal policing, and the dehumanizing treatment suffered by prisoners. Along the way, stories such as Minimal Island and the Man with a Thousand Faces emerged, and the pair feared that their project might never reach audiences due to the enormity and sensitivity of the subject.
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That is precisely what makes Modelo 77 so meaningful for the director, who opened the 70th San Sebastián Festival and then hinted at a possible trilogy linking these two works. The project serves as a diagnostic lens on the social fabric of the country during its transition to contemporary times, exploring how ideology, power structures, and the individual interact under a system that continues to carry the vestiges of a previous regime. The film casts light on power dynamics and the lasting influence of fascist structures that persisted into the seventies and linger in the shadows of today.
Rodriguez has spoken about the challenge of telling this episode on screen, describing it as a page torn from a history book and forgotten. In a late seventies Spain that seemed to promise little future, there existed a rudimentary, almost animalistic sense of freedom that clashed with the stark reality faced by prisoners who had to endure rampant mistreatment. The filmmaker notes how the protagonists aspire to a utopia born from struggle and the assertion of rights, a message that resonates as Europe and North America watch a rising far right.
History
The narrative unfolds over three years, centering on the character Manuel, a young man who is accused of embezzlement and sent to Modelo prison in 1976. The story follows a sequence of dehumanizing acts that impact Manuel and others, all seen through the perspective of those who inhabit the prison microcosm. Manuel endures humiliation and violence, gradually gaining access to the inner world of the prison with the help of his cellmate Pino and other inmates who recognize their rights and decide to challenge the filthy conditions by organizing within the Carabanchel union, known as Copel.
Choosing pivotal events from this era demanded careful craft, as the film remains a work of fiction set within a coherent historical framework rather than a documentary. The filmmaker emphasizes that the emotional truth carries more weight than strict archival accuracy. Key episodes, such as the 1977 revolt when hundreds of inmates demonstrated their will, became turning points that showcased the courage to protest and the role of the press in revealing what was happening inside the prisons to the outside world.
Escape from the sewer
A remarkable moment occurs when a daring escape takes place, one year after a prison uprising touched the lives of forty-five inmates. With hope dwindling, the only option some prisoners saw was to seize an opportunity to break free. The director chose not to glamorize the escape, aiming instead to preserve the film’s authentic spirit. To him, the escape reads as a form of poetic justice, a visual and symbolic turning point that carries its own illusion and mirage.
In moments defined by stark individualism, Modelo 77 becomes a testament to collective resilience. The director insists that today’s problems can only be addressed through solidarity and collaboration. The film is framed as an ode to personal dignity and a portrayal of how to escape a system designed to alienate people by harnessing the power of communal effort and mutual support.