The Spanish Civil War (1936 – 1939) was a conflict between the newly-elected left-leaning government of the Spanish Republic and its supporters and the (ultimately successful) rebellion against the Republic led by General Francisco Franco and supported by Hitler and Mussolini. Thousands of men and women from around the world volunteered to serve as soldiers and medical and support personnel for the Republic, which organized them into International Brigades (including the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, made up of North Americans). Film was one of the weapons used by international organizations supporting the Republic and the Brigades to document the war and to generate support and raise money; after the war they used moving images to aid the Republic’s refugees.
“With the Lincoln Brigade In Spain,” is a short documentary film produced by Herbert Kline, directed by still photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, and shot in 35mm (although distributed in 16 mm) by Cartier-Bresson and movie camera operator Jaques Lemare. It was filmed in 1937 and released in 1938. Shown in union halls, clubs, and other small venues throughout the United States, “With the Lincoln Brigade in Spain” was used to raise funds to bring the Brigaders home.
• Salas, Juan. “Henri Cartier-Bresson Film Found in ALBA Archive.” The Volunteer 17 (2010): 8-9,11. Accessed July 3, 2012. http://www.albavolunteer.org/2010/03/henri-cartier-bresson-footage-%E2%80%A8found-in-alba-archive/
From the guide to the "With the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in Spain" Film., undated, (Tamiment Library / Wagner Archives)
