David Uclés’s “The Four Wounds” Confronts Spain’s Unresolved Civil War Legacy
A groundbreaking podcast series from acclaimed author David Uclés challenges Spain to reckon with its past, revealing a concerning disconnect between historical understanding and contemporary political trends.
The Spanish Civil War, a conflict that tore the nation apart in the 20th century, continues to cast a long shadow over modern Spain. Now, literary phenomenon David Uclés – whose novel The Peninsula of Empty Houses has sold over 200,000 copies – is fueling a renewed national conversation with “The Four Wounds,” a four-part podcast series produced in collaboration with SER Podcast. The final installment launched on November 20th, offering a unique and often unsettling exploration of the war’s origins, consequences, and enduring presence in Spanish society.
Unlike traditional historical documentaries or straightforward narratives, “The Four Wounds” defies categorization. It is not a conversational podcast, nor is it sound fiction. Instead, it’s described as a form uniquely shaped by Uclés’s artistic vision, one that embraces experimentation and a non-linear approach. The series employs a style akin to fantasy, utilizing jumps in time and space to dissect a deeply sensitive topic. In the fourth and final chapter, Uclés positions himself within a futuristic space station, adopting a detached, analytical perspective on a conflict Spain seemingly struggles to overcome even half a century after the death of dictator Francisco Franco.
“My intention is not to get more wet than necessary and, paying homage to Carl Sagan and his Cosmos, analyze certain sociological issues from a distance,” Uclés explained to EL PAÍS. This distance is not emotional detachment, but a deliberate attempt to provide a broader, more objective lens through which to examine Spain’s historical trauma.
Uclés’s methodology is unconventional. He seamlessly blends interviews, historical recordings, and even theatrical recreations. He invites actors from Andrés Lima’s 1936 choral play to perform the words of controversial figures like General Queipo de Llano – considered a war criminal by many historians – alongside those of writer Miguel de Unamuno. He also engages directly with high school students, probing their understanding of Franco and the Republic. This multifaceted approach, while initially appearing chaotic, ultimately coalesces into a cohesive and thought-provoking experience. “It is like a book without corners that has no need to frame where it begins and where it ends,” Uclés stated, emphasizing his belief in storytelling as a means of facilitating intellectual and emotional journeys.
The podcast’s innovative use of sound reflects Uclés’s broader artistic curiosity. Project coordinator Ana Alonso notes that the series is “a combination of elements, while remaining rigorous and faithful, that not only uses experts or historians, but also people who lived it, like David’s grandmother, or people who did not live it and who do not know what it was like, like those kids from the institute.” This intergenerational dialogue is central to the podcast’s mission.
Uclés is adamant about the necessity of revisiting Franco’s legacy, despite facing online harassment and threats from those who believe the topic should remain buried. “You just have to look at what is happening in the institutes,” he observed, expressing concern over the resurgence of far-right ideologies among young people. He laments that his own schooling lacked any substantive discussion of the Republic or Franco’s dictatorship, a gap he believes contributes to the current political climate. “It has been a process of vindication very well orchestrated by Vox through media like TikTok that has resonated with young people,” he added.
“The Four Wounds” doesn’t aim to deliver a traditional history lesson. Instead, it weaves together a tapestry of voices, including those of prominent figures like Iñaki Gabilondo, Pepe Sacristán, Berna González Harbor, and Ian Gibson, as well as Bernardo Pajares of the podcast compact art, who describes a Goya painting to a blind visitor at the Prado Museum. Alonso emphasizes that the podcast “requires the listener to stay alert, because they don’t know what is going to happen two minutes later.”
The project, scripted and narrated by Uclés and produced by Valentina Rojo with sound design by Roberto García, nearly became an endless cycle of experimentation. According to its coordinator, the team continually generated new ideas, driven by a desire to explore every facet of the topic. This relentless pursuit of innovation culminated in the final episode’s striking revelation: a survey of 30 foreign citizens, speaking 30 different languages, revealed a surprising consensus on Spain’s 20th-century history. “And you realize that abroad they do have a common idea. We are the ones who have a problem,” Uclés concluded.
Ultimately, “The Four Wounds” attempts to navigate “this Cainite country in which it is so difficult for us to find the range of gray,” echoing the words of Clara Campoamor: “No one has cared to teach the people that death and war are much easier than peace and life.”
You can now listen to the third episode of ‘The 4 wounds’, David Uclés’ podcast.
https://t.co/dU6es3HDHX
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