ASSASSINATING FRANCO – RESISTANCE AGAINST A DICTATOR
During his brutal reign, the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco survived over 20 assassination attempts. But who were the attackers and what were their motives? We track them down.
Spanish dictator Francisco Franco believed he was chosen by higher powers. He instructed his propagandists to portray him as an "indomitable soldier". Secretly, however, Franco had an almost morbid fear of being murdered. And rightly so, as was proven after his death in 1975. Since then, over 20 failed attempts on the Spanish nationalist leader’s life have come to light. But who planned these attempts? What drove the would-be assassins, and how close did they come to fulfilling their goal of killing the Spanish tyrant? Octavio Alberola and Stuart Christie, one-time would-be Franco assassins, reveal the motives and circumstances behind their plots against the dictator. The documentary also exposes the repressive apparatus that reflected the dictator's deep-rooted fear of his own people. Visual highlights in the film include re-enacted scenes that enable viewers to relive the assassination attempts, as well as historical photos and little known and largely unpublished footage. The film examines an important chapter in the story of Spain's militant resistance to one of the 20th century's longest-serving European dictators.