Filling the Sink

Gaudís and Goyas - New golden age for Catalan cinema

The Goya awards ceremony held on February 8 was a testimony to the rising success of Catalan cinema, with prizes, applause and a feeling that Catalonia is one of the driving forces of world-class film production. This week on Filling the Sink we put our finger on the pulse of modern Catalan cinema, look back over its history and analyze future trends.
Catalan News journalist Lorcan Doherty highlights the results of the recent Goya and Gaudí awards. We speak with ‘El 47’ director Marcel Barrena and Hollywood filmmaker J. A. Bayona on the red carpet on the night of the Gaudí ceremony. We also discover the secrets to the success of Goya’s Best Supporting Actress Clara Segura, Best Directors Pol Rodríguez and Isaki Lacuesta, and Best Original Screenplay winner Eduard Sola for ‘A House on Fire.’
Host Beth Cohen analyzes the reasons behind the boom in Catalan cinema production and explains the key factors which are contributing to the growth of the film industry, including the fundamental role played by Catalonia’s leading film school, ESCAC.
This week’s Catalan phrase is ‘I van ser feliços i van menjar anissos’ meaning ‘And they all lived happily ever after’. It sounds like the perfect ending for a film.

Concentration camp imposter - Enric Marco’s life of lies

Barcelona-born Enric Marco was celebrated as a survivor of a Nazi concentration camp, being awarded Catalonia’s highest civil distinction, the Creu de Sant Jordi, publicly sharing his experiences and even representing a survivors’ association. However in 2005 the historian Benito Bermejo discovered that Marco’s life story was a monumental lie.
Although he spent time in Germany during World War II, Marco was never held prisoner in Flossenbürg concentration camp as he claimed; in reality he voluntarily worked for the German war machine. Since then a lot has been published on the subject; there is a book by Javier Cercas, two films and endless media reports. But the question still remains - what led Marco to weave such a complicated web of lies?
We interview Benito Bermejo about the investigation leading up to Marco’s disclosure and learn about the thousands of Catalan Republicans who really were deported during the war and who perished in German concentration camps. Catalan News journalist Cillian Shields sits down with host Beth Cohen to explore the circumstances that led Marco to lie about his past and the historical context which favored the credibility of his story. We also talk to psychologist Dr. Drew Curtis, who specializes in deceit and pathological liars, and draw parallels with cases of other famous imposters.
This week’s Catalan phrase is ‘sembla mentida’ - it seems like a lie. ‘Sembla mentida’ that someone would fake being a concentration camp victim… but it actually happened.

Dragon Ball - the anime that made Catalan cool

Dragon Ball - or Bola de Drac Catalan - was created as a manga, a style of comic or graphic novel, by Akira Toriyama in 1984, and was later made into an animated television programme, also known as an anime. It was the first Japanese series of its kind to be dubbed into Catalan and is etched in the memory of generations of Catalans who grew up watching Son Goku on his quest for dragon balls.
We meet actor Marc Zanni, the legendary adult voice of the protagonist Son Goku, to discover why the dubbing of Dragon Ball helped to promote the Catalan language and foster a sense of cultural identity. Catalan News journalist Oriol Escudé visits Norma Comics in Barcelona to talk to some Dragon Ball fans and find out why the series formed such an important part of their childhood.
Oriol Estrada, a specialist in Japanese culture with a focus on manga and anime, discusses the historical context of the release of the series in the 1990s. And we meet Daniel Cassany, a researcher on reading and writing, as well as a professor of Discourse Analysis in the Catalan language at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, to find out about the future of entertainment in Catalan and how we can continue to create cultural content that resonates with audiences and thrives on social media platforms.
This week’s Catalan phrase is ‘setciències’, an archaic insult used by Vegeta in Dragon Ball which means ‘seven sciences’ and is the equivalent to being a ‘clever clogs’ or ‘know-it-all’ in English.

Trump’s trading tactics - US tax policies threaten Catalan economy

As Donald Trump returns to the White House, new US trading policies are predicted to bring increased tariffs on imports from Europe. On this week’s podcast, reporters Coralie Moreau and Gerard Escaich Folch join host Beth Cohen to discuss the future of the US trade relationship with Catalonia.
We talk to Cristina Serradell, director of international trading at Catalonia's Trade and Investment agency, who explains the threat posed to Catalan companies. Coralie interviews Professor Pedro Aznar from the Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting at the ESADE business and law school in Barcelona, to find out what Donald Trump's mandate could mean for the Catalan and European economies. And we discover how local businesses are planning to adjust their strategies following Trump’s inauguration. 
This week’s Catalan phrase is “Salut i força al canut,” a quintessential way of wishing someone health and wealth. The ‘canut’ is an old-fashioned cylindrical purse which people wore tied to their belts and the phrase can be used as the equivalent of the English “Cheers!” to raise a toast before drinking.

Els Tres Tombs - Saint Anthony and the feast of the animals

Saint Anthony, Catalonia’s protector of animals, is honored with a feast day on January 17 every year. The festival is known as Els Tres Tombs, or 'the three laps' in English, and is celebrated in honor of both animals and the saint. This year marks the bicentenary of the Tres Tombs festival in Barcelona.
Andreu Bernadàs, president of the Catalan Tres Tombs federation, explains how the organization aims to keep knowledge of a past world alive, one in which the ‘traginer’ was an important element of society. The ‘traginer’, or ‘arriero’ in Spanish, was a person who transported goods between markets and towns, usually using mules. We find out how animals participate in the Tres Tombs parades held throughout Catalonia and Jordi Gispert from the Associació Defensa Drets Animal outlines the animal welfare guidelines for these events. 
We also learn about the ruc català, Catalonia’s unique breed of donkey. Historically valued for it’s size and strength, numbers have declined drastically since the industrial revolution. We talk to members of the Adopt a Donkey movement and visit a sanctuary run by Gratitud Pallars to find out how the efforts of local people and the donations of animal lovers could save this rare animal from extinction.
This week’s Catalan phrase is “Venir a tomb”, meaning that something is appropriate or right in a given situation. The word “tomb” means twist or turn, and can also be used to describe a short walk, such as the three laps of the village typical of the Tres Tombs parades. 

Cooperative housing - Working together to combat the housing crisis

A housing cooperative is a property owned by a business or housing association in which the residents gain equity by buying shares. It’s a distinctive form of home ownership which is gaining popularity across Catalonia in the face of the housing crisis. This week on Filling the Sink we take a closer look at the pros and cons of cooperative housing.
Catalan News reporter Coralie Moreau explains the origins of cooperative housing, the different models and the process by which inhabitants can enter a cooperative and acquire a flat. We talk to members of the cooperatives La Borda, La Morada and La Voliana to discover the philosophies behind the different collectives. Host Beth Cohen explores the economic aspect and reveals how cooperatives are able to offer more affordable housing by operating as non-profit organizations and carrying out repairs and maintenance internally. Housing policies specialist Ángela Garcia Bernardos, professor of Social Work at the University of Barcelona, outlines the difficulties of integrating cooperative housing projects into current urban planning.
This week’s Catalan phrase is “Si vols estar ben servit, fes-te tu mateix el llit”, the equivalent to the English phrase “If you want something done properly, do it yourself.” This is a motto which the members of Catalonia’s cooperative housing projects have taken to heart, as they work together for a better collective future.

Still on track: Barcelona’s metro celebrates its centenary

On December 30, 1924, the first section of Barcelona's city metro was inaugurated, running between Plaça Catalunya and Lesseps. Thousands of Barcelona residents continue to commute daily along this section of what is now line 3, perhaps unaware that they are travelling through tunnels with one hundred years of history. As the metro’s centenary approaches, we dedicate an episode of Filling the Sink to exploring its origins and discovering how it continues to stay on track in a modern and ever-changing world.
Catalan News journalist Cillian Shields meets Marta Torres, author of the book Barcelona, Metro a Metro, to listen to some of the fascinating stories behind the station names. Correspondent Coralie Moreau takes a musical journey though the metro and chats to some of the musicians who make a living busking underground. And host Beth Cohen investigates some of the activities that the Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona have organized for the centenary celebrations, including ghost station visits, an exhibition of old train carriages and an underground race through the tunnels.
This week’s Catalan phrase is an easy but very useful one that you may hear whilst riding on the metro, “Pròxima estació”, meaning “next station”. So don’t miss your stop and don’t miss this week’s podcast!

Beating the odds: Spain’s Christmas lottery tradition

Spain’s annual Christmas lottery will take place on December 22; it is the biggest and most popular draw of the year and an event of great cultural importance for many Catalan citizens. This week on Filling the Sink we’ll be exploring the history of this festive prize draw and discovering how it is celebrated.
The Loteria de Nadal has been celebrated since 1812 and is the second-longest continuously running lottery in the world, as well the biggest in terms of the total prize payout. This draw is more than just a game of chance, it’s an important part of Catalan culture and of the Christmas tradition.
Catalan News journalist Oriol Escudé explains the origins of the draw as a way to raise money for the defense of Cádiz against Napoleon’s troops. Host Beth Cohen discovers who the students of San Ildefonso school are and why their singing forms part of the lottery draw held in the Teatro Real in Madrid. We visit some of Barcelona’s most iconic ticket outlets to meet lottery vendors and discuss the odds of winning ‘El Gordo’, as well as the controversy surrounding state taxation of winnings. We also chat to some of the players about their lucky numbers and how they hope to beat the odds this year.
This week’s Catalan phrase is “Néixer amb la flor al cul” - literally “to be born with a flower in your bottom”. It refers to good fortune acquired without effort and can be compared with the English phrase “to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth”.

2024 in Catalonia: A year in news

As Christmas time approaches and 2024 draws to a close, we’ll be dedicating an episode of Filling the Sink to an annual review, summarizing some of this year’s most important news and taking a look at what is on the cards for Catalonia in 2025.
Host Beth Cohen sits down with Catalan News journalist Lorcan Doherty to look back over the major events which happened in 2024 and discuss the best and the worst of this year’s news. We have seen extreme weather events, starting the year with a critical drought situation which was worsened by heat waves, and whilst the DANA in October brought much needed rain it also had catastrophic consequences which raised questions about Catalonia’s vulnerability in the face of climate change.
On a political level, there have been two elections, an amnesty law, a new president and the surprise return of Carles Puigdemont in August. Gerard Escaich Folch, head of Catalan News, recalls the uncertainty surrounding his short visit.
There have been protests about the housing crisis and Catalonia adopted a rent cap law to protect the right to affordable housing. Anti-tourism protesters also made the headlines as they sprayed water guns at holiday-makers in Barcelona.
And on a sad note, we also said goodbye to the oldest living person in the world, Maria Branyas Morera from Olot, who passed away in August at 117 years old. This week’s Catalan phrase is “Anys i panys” - “Years and locks” - which refers to the passage of time.

A new language, a new life - Learning Catalan goes viral

Catalan is currently spoken by more than 10 million people in four different countries: Spain, Andorra, France and Italy. This week on Filling the Sink we reveal what it’s like to learn Catalan as a foreign language, find out who is studying it and why and discover the importance of our national language.  
 
Catalan News journalist Cillian Shields talks to Catalan teacher, language influencer, and content creator, Júlia Riera, about the success of her educational channel, @dailycatalan. Host Beth Cohen discusses the popularity of the free Catalan classes for beginners run by the CPNL. And we meet Gerhard Kirsten, a mathematician from South Africa who has documented his progress learning Catalan on social media.
 
This week’s Catalan phrase is “Qui no té feina, el gat pentina”, the equivalent to the English phrase “Idle hands are the devil’s playthings”. So if you’re looking for something to do this weekend, tune in to Filling the Sink and learn some Catalan with us!

Valencia floods one month on - Is Catalonia prepared for extreme weather?

On October 29, an isolated upper-level depression affected Spain, causing heavy rain and floods.  One month on, we discuss the tragedy, explore whether Catalonia is prepared for this kind of meteorological phenomenon and question why these slow-moving storm systems are becoming increasingly frequent.
Catalan News journalist Oriol Escudé talks to scientists and climate change experts David Pino and Davide Faranda, who explain the climatological conditions of the Spanish Mediterranean basin. We learn how human activity is affecting the intensity of storms and find out why construction in flood prone areas is still permitted.
To learn more about how Catalonia handles extreme weather events, we visit the Protecció Civil control and crisis centers and meet the Deputy Director of Operations, Imma Solé. Host Beth Cohen unveils Catalonia’s long history of flood episodes and analyzes current drought statistics to discover that every cloud has a silver lining.
This week’s Catalan phrase is “Qui sembra vents, recull tempestats” - in English, “He who sows winds, reaps storms”. It can perhaps serve as a warning that, if we continue to mistreat the planet and climate change advances, we can expect more storms like this in future. 

Priced out: Tenants threaten rent strike as housing crisis worsens

This Saturday November 23 the Tenant’s Union accompanied by dozens of housing activism organizations have planned a protest in Barcelona to demand a significant reduction in rents. We discuss the housing crisis, analyze the reasons behind rising prices and find out how tenants are fighting back.
Host Beth Cohen is joined by Catalan News journalist Cillian Shields to explore how the housing situation has evolved in recent years. Cillian talks to tenants about the difficulties of renting in Barcelona, the increasingly unfavorable contracts offered by landlords and the saturated housing market. Beth investigates the rent cap law, finds out what a ‘tense housing zone’ is and discovers how landlords are using legal loopholes to continue to charge prices which reflect market demand.
We interview some of the key figures involved in Saturday’s protest, including Carme Arcarazo, the spokesperson for the Tenants´ Union, and Judit Esposa, a representative of a housing union in the Barcelona neighborhood of Gràcia. They clarify what the protest hopes to achieve, while experts question the viability of a rent strike.
Filling the Sink also reveals how locals are being priced out of their neighborhoods, as tourism and luxury real estate put pressure on rental prices. For those who do want to stay, compromise comes in the form of a flat share or moving back into the family home, neither of which are desirable options for working adults.
This week’s Catalan phrase is “Començar la casa per la teulada” - to start the house with the roof. It means to do things in the wrong order and is the equivalent of the English saying “To put the cart before the horse.”