Culture and Sports Minister Miquel Iceta announced the plan to move the Berlanga Archive to Valencia, as the Generalitat Valenciana searches for a home for the filmmaker Luis García Berlanga’s enduring legacy.
The minister shared the news after meeting with reporters accompanying the Berlanga Archive’s representatives. The archive was acquired by the ministry for 357,000 euros and comprises 74 boxes filled with documents gathered during Berlanga’s life, now becoming part of public national collections.
Iceta emphasized that the material is still being cataloged, but noted that Valencia’s regional leadership forwarded the matter to ensure the archive serves the council’s interests in preserving Berlanga’s heritage for the public.
“The Generalitat Valenciana will identify a suitable site and will inform us. The Berlanga Archive will end up in Valencia”, he stated.
A location for the archive yet to be determined
Following the minister’s announcement, Ximo Puig highlighted that accepting the archive would anchor a space dedicated to monitoring and sharing Berlanga’s work. Reports from Levante-EMV of the Prensa Ibérica group indicated that the Generalitat intends to establish a venue in Valencia where Berlanga’s films are studied, showcased, and where personal memorabilia related to his career are displayed.
“We wanted it in place, so the challenge is finding the right site that also serves as a recognition platform for an international filmmaker”, Puig said.
At present, the exact location for the Berlanga area remains unspecified. Previously, when the ministry announced the archive’s purchase last December, the ideal spot floated was the Valencia Film Library, part of the Instituto de Cinematografía y Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA). Yet ministry sources later said no formal transfer request had been received by the department led by Raquel Tamarit.
Purchased for 357,000 euros
In December of the prior year, the Ministry of Culture and Sports finalized the acquisition of the Luis García Berlanga archive for 357,000 euros after years of negotiations. The pact involved a goodwill agreement among all parties, resulting in 74 boxes of diverse documents from Berlanga’s life joining the public collections.
Since the Berlanga family sold their Somosaguas home, the material has resided at Filmoteca Española, overseen by the Instituto Cervantes group and the ICAA, which initially safeguarded and distributed the contents. Early 2022 saw the minister ready to locate Berlanga’s archive in Valencia for obvious cultural reasons, a preference supported by the Berlanga family, who expressed desire for Valencia to house the collection and publicly display its legacy as a local pride. Fernando García-Berlanga, accepting a cultural award in 2021, underscored the wish for Valencia to become its home.
Another son, José Luis García-Berlanga, commented that the final decision rests with the Ministry of Culture and the Generalitat, and expressed hope that the archive would find a home in Valencia. He noted that the family did not place conditions on any potential transfer, should it occur.
Since the original report, the Generalitat has signaled a commitment to ensuring the centennial celebrations of Berlanga in 2021 do not dilute the corporate memory, planning a dedicated space to study, disseminate, and display Berlanga’s work and related memorabilia.
Sources from the Generalitat Presidency admitted that the archive lacks a fixed destination, and in a prior interview a regional secretary for Culture asserted that the Filmoteca de València possesses the facilities and staff to host the archive, though collaboration remains a priority for valuing heritage.
The archive’s contents span Berlanga’s entire career, offering a comprehensive view of his evolution as a filmmaker. The material is described by the ministry as among the most complete and complex ever received by the Spanish Film Library, with the aim of shedding light on Spain’s cultural life and one of its most influential artists of the past century.
Heritage items are organized into categories such as personal and family documents, creative work, working notes, correspondence, awards, memorabilia, graphic documents, magazines and press clippings, and works by other creators.
Personal and family material includes family albums, childhood notes, and documents from Berlanga’s service in the Blue Division, alongside memorabilia from Valencia Football Club and collections of Christmas cards belonging to other cinema figures.
Original scripts, both typed and handwritten, reveal Berlanga’s own notes and ideas, including several versions of hits such as That Happy Couple, Welcome Back, Mr. Marshall!, and Plácido, plus scripts for unfinished projects.
The ministry notes that the archive traces Berlanga’s clashes with Franco-era censorship through these writings and provides firsthand insight into the cultural life of Spain. It also contains many drafts of speeches and conference talks spanning decades, alongside documentation of conferences and public appearances.
The collection preserves correspondence with notable Spanish cinema figures like Rafael Azcona, Juan Antonio Bardem, Basilio Martín Patino, Luis Ciges, and José Luis López Vázquez. It also houses nearly a hundred awards, personal keepsakes, and items such as documents from the 1962 Oscars ceremony tied to Plácido’s nomination.
Photos, posters, and visual materials
Graphic documentation plays a crucial role in Berlanga’s legacy, featuring photographs, negatives, and visual records of personal, family, and professional life, as well as political and corporate activities connected to his films.
The archives include numerous drawings by Berlanga, some featuring playful or provocative themes, rendered in a range of media from pencil and watercolor to felt-tip. They also contain set designs and location plans for films like Welcome Back, Mr. Marshall and Calabuch, along with related visual files for Esa Pareja Feliz.
Additionally, the collection encompasses festival materials, promotional items for Berlanga’s films, posters from Berlanga’s and colleagues’ works, and clippings and interviews from various publications, providing a fuller picture of the director’s reception and impact.