Plegar la manta (Selling on the Run) is a documentary made with Batabat for the 30 minuts of TV3, the Catalan public television, that was broadcast on December 3, 2017.
The report addresses the reality of irregular street vending by focusing on its protagonists, the people who are dedicated to selling on the street and who are persecuted and criminalized. The people who are engaged in this trade on the Catalan coast come mainly from Senegal. Because the immigration law does not allow them to access a work permit even if they have been in the country for more than a decade, they have no choice but to engage in irregular work.
In addition to the vendors, the report also gives voice to institutions, human rights organizations and trade unions, who give their perspective on the issue. Everyone agrees to point out the legal obstacles encountered by people who arrive in Spain in search of job opportunities. The protagonists denounce, besides, the situations of institutional racism they suffer, as well as aggressions by the police.
Finally, some alternatives are listed, such as the creation of a Popular Street Vendors Unions or a cooperative of former vendors driven by the Barcelona City Council, Diomcoop. Although they have been helpful responses for many people, the solution will only come when people who are engaged in street vending have access full citizenship.
The project is a production of TV3 and Batabat, co-directed by Sònia Calvó Carrió and João França, with photography direction of Raúl Cuevas, the editing of Moisés Casanovas and images by Aida Torrent and Benet Roman. It was possible thanks to the collaboration of Aziz Faye, Fatou Mbaye and Lamine Sarr, who were open to share their life stories.
Information about the documentary and English teaser on the TV3 website.
