Lives of a free man

Jorge Semprún was an exceptional witness of the 20th century. Exiled in the occupied France after the Spanish Civil War, he participated in the resistance and was imprisoned in the Buchenwald concentration camp. Later, he returned to Franco's Spain clandestinely as a communist leader and, in the late 1980s, became minister of culture in the government of Felipe González. In his life, he is often described as an almost novelistic character, since Semprún made literature out of his experiences, leaving a political and intellectual legacy that is essential to understand the last century.

In this session, we will preview Albert Solé's documentary Las mil vidas de Jorge Semprún (55 min) and invite people who knew him, such as the philosopher Josep Ramoneda, the political scientist Carmen Claudín, the singer and writer Raimon and the author's grandson Thomas Landman, to talk about his figure as an intellectual, politician and friend. Moderated by journalist Esther Vera.

The activity Writing, memory and politics is also part of Semprún Centenary at the CCCB.

Semprún Centenary is a cultural program also including activityies organized by El Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria, Filmoteca de Catalunya and Museu d’Història de Catalunya.