Phil Valverde sings to his Gibraltar

I filmed Phil Valverde singing this song in March 2011 for "People of the Rock," and this refrain has been stuck in my head ever since:

"Gibraltar, my Gibraltar
Keep your nose clean
From the North side of the border"

He's singing about the period from 1969-1985 when Spain closed the border with Gibraltar as an act of political aggression. In his full interview, Philip discusses how visitors to Gib flew to Tangier and took a boat across the strait to the Rock. Animosity towards Spain flourished and the people of Gibraltar became a very close-knit community.



The film is coming along well. I've recently been invited to attend and film the United Nations Committee of 24 meetings on non-self-governing territories this June in New York. That segment will cover something that a number of people have discussed in their interviews, but showing is so much more powerful than telling in film. The short story is that Fabian Picardo (recently-elected Chief Minister of Gibraltar) will represent Gibraltar before the UN in an attempt to have Gibraltar removed from the UN list of non-self-governing territories (ie, colonies). Spain and the UK will speak as well, and history suggests that sparks will fly.

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GSD representation requested

So far, response to "People of the Rock: The Llanitos of Gibraltar" has been excellent! Tons of people have written emails and commented on the video at various websites, and the film has been embedded in web pages featuring information about Gibraltar's politics and culture.

The only issue that Llanitos seem to be having with this film is the lack of representation from the GSD party (namely Peter Caruana). In the works is an updated version of this film, featuring statements and interviews from the GSD, though I also lack funding to return to Gibraltar to perform live video interviews.

If anyone in Gibraltar or Andalucía would like to be involved, pro bono (this is a not-for-profit film), and interview any members of the GSD, especially during the upcoming Gibraltar National Day on September 10, I would be able to include segments of that interview in the next version of the documentary. If any interested parties read this, please contact me for details. Interviews could be performed on video, or be audio-only.

The next version of this film should be released in December, and will include a new narration (the current version was narrated between 3-5am after weeks without much sleep, and it shows), statements from the GSD (whether recorded for this film or onscreen text of public statements), and an improved introduction, among other minor editorial tweaks.