Malraux Across the Atlantic: Film Screening — Espoir, Sierra de Teruel
Our commemoration concludes with a screening of the restored version of André Malraux’s Espoir, Sierra de Teruel, the film he directed during the Spanish Civil War. Closely connected to his novel L’Espoir, the film offers a remarkable example of Malraux’s attempt to bring together artistic creation, political commitment, and collective resistance.
About the film:
When Malraux shot Sierra de Teruel (Days of Hope) in 1938–1939, he was not operating as a conventional filmmaker. He was someone who was deeply involved in the Spanish Civil War and a former pilot leading the España Squadron. Filming began in Spain in 1938. The crew filmed in Barcelona, Tarragona, and Montserrat, but the war caused difficulties. The Montjuïc studios in Barcelona were regularly bombed, and filming was hampered by power outages, etc.
The film was banned by Franco in Spain, censored in France before the war, and then largely destroyed by the Germans during the Occupation, yet Sierra de Teruel (Days of Hope) survived thanks to a copy hidden under a fake title (Drôle de drame (Bizarre, Bizarre)) and a second negative that was sent to the United States. After the Liberation in 1945, the film was finally re-released under the title Espoir (Man’s Hope), but it was not exactly the same. The editing had been altered and an opening speech by Maurice Schumann was added to ensure the film’s importance in the history of the Resistance.
People were unaware for a long time that another version existed. And yet, an original copy has survived: it was sent to the United States and is now preserved at the Library of Congress. Today, the restored version is the result of a partnership between the CNC, the Cinémathèque française, Les Grands Films Classiques, André Malraux’s family, and the Library of Congress. The original edit and the music by Darius Milhaud have both been restored.
Original text by Manon Sabrier, Festival de Cannes, May 17, 2026.
This is part of Malraux Across the Atlantic: Art, Resistance, and Cultural Diplomacy, our official “Année Malraux” commemoration marking the fiftieth anniversary of André Malraux’s death. The event is being organized in partnership with the Maison Française at NYU and the Centre d’Excellence Jules Verne at Ohio State University.
This film screening is free and open to all! Limited visitor parking is available in the East End Garage at the intersection of Forsyth Blvd. and Wrighton Way.