Synopsis
The documentary is about 27 women, members of parliament and senators, who were protagonists of politic change during Spain’s transition towards democracy, because of the parliamentary role which they played during the first constituent term in office in 1977 after the transition to democracy. Through the personal experiences of these pioneering women, the documentary reveals a fascinating side to the history of women’s political involvement in Spain and it analyses its current state. The documentary also captures a meeting between present female members of parliament and politicians and the mothers of the constitution, which culminates in an intense debate. A cutting edge audio-visual work that until now is unprecedented in the history of Spain.
About the documentary
Mothers of the Constitution is an audio-visual documentary of undeniable value about the history of the political and social involvement of women in Spain. It traces the political and personal path that led these women, after Clara Campoamor, Victoria Kent and her contemporaries, to becoming the first to find themselves within Spain’s democratic Parliament in a unique and pivotal moment in Spanish history.
Made up of 21 members of parliament and 6 senators, following Franco’s dictatorship these 27 women entered the Spanish Congress and Senate during the democratic elections of the 15th June 1977. They were involved in creating the Spanish Constitution of 1978, including actively defending equality for women in Spanish society.
Through accounts from the protagonists, and an emotive sequence that shows a meeting between current members of parliament, politicians and some of the mothers of the constitution, the documentary provides a suggestive analysis based on first-hand experience of what makes up one of the most compelling eras of parliamentarianism in Spain: that of the Constituent Assembly between 1977 and 1979, and does it through the eyes of the woman. The documentary offers a glimpse of Spain’s transition to democracy and is unprecedented in the history of this country.
