This documentary-drama tells the story of Ethel MacDonald, a remarkable young woman whose name hit the world headlines during the Spanish Civil War. She was hailed as the 'Scarlet Pimpernel' of the workers' revolution but has since become something of a forgotten legend. Her story ranks alongside the courage of the more famous 'La Pasionara'.
While both these women sustained worldwide recognition at the height of the conflict in Spain, the reputation of the Scots heroine has since dwindled into obscurity in Britain and has largely remained forgotten.
Ethel MacDonald, whose association with the anarchist movement began in her native Lanarkshire, set off for Barcelona after heeding a call for international support for the Republican movement which was under threat from a military uprising, led by General Franco.
An Anarchist's Story charts her involvement with a struggle which began on a note of optimism as workers' committees took control of all the state apparatus in the Catalan city, before ideological tensions, culminating in the famous siege of the telephone exchange, ended the anarchist experiment.
During the crackdown following the shoot-out, the Scottish anarchist heroine, who had become known internationally through her broadcasts and dispatches, was charged with espionage and crimes against the state; but her friend and confidante Fenner Brockway, a leading member of the Labour Party in Britain, eventually secured her release from prison.
A radio announcer at the headquarters of the workers' confederation, it was her voice that first broadcast to the world the accounts of the famous May Day riots in Barcelona. Blacklisted by the Spanish authorities and under constant surveillance, she struggled to free her imprisoned comrades.
Dramatic reconstructions, contributions from veterans and academics and powerful archive footage bring to life a city and a time when ideologies clashed with horrific consequences.
Ethel MacDonald's harrowing experiences provide an illuminating account of a woman's courage and give voice to a version of events which has been seldom heard.
David Hayman is the narrator, contributors include Professor Noam Chomsky and Antonia Fontanillas, an anarchist veteran still living in Barcelona.
