Elena Soler is a student of the Photography & Video degree at Laba Valencia.

Elena inherited from her father the love for the Fallas of Valencia. From her mother, her devotion to flamenco. She conceived this project as a tribute to our country, to the traditions that nourish us.

“It’s important to tell where you come from and how you grew up. I’m very proud of where I come from, of the country where I am, of what I have learned, and of what I have grown up with.

One of the things I like most about the Fallas is that all the people of Valencia come together to celebrate the festival, no matter what neighborhood of Valencia you live in, and it’s something so big because it is the union of the whole community.

Fallas for us are tradition, feeling, gunpowder, and fire. The whole of Valencia comes together to witness one of the most beautiful festivals in Spain, the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In Fallas you don’t just experience the emotion of seeing the Mascletà, being in the Falla, or putting on a magnificent dresses… It’s to feel the offering to the Geperudeta, to dance with the Charangas, to appreciate the Castles, the art that our Fallas artists give us with the Ninots, and the tears that appear in each Fallera during the Cremà.

Another equally important icon in my documentary is the figure of the Flamenca. Since I was very young, I have always witnessed my family dancing and singing flamenco songs.

My mother was born in Úbeda, Jaen, and she instilled in me the art of flamenco. Flamenco is a musical style that is lived with a lot of passion. I remember watching my grandmother, my aunt, and my mother playing the palmas and the taconeo. Flamenco is also a fundamental part of the union of the whole of Andalusia.

I think it’s a very beautiful part of our country and I wanted to represent it in some way.

Fallas and flamenco, my roots”.
Elena Soler

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“Raíces”, a documentary directed by Elena Soler

Filmmaker Flamenco Session: Sara Pozo
Still photo Flamenco Session: Juliette Roy
Flamenca: Lorena Chust
Editing: Elena Soler

Filmmaker Fallera Session: Elena Soler
Fallera: Sandra Alemany
Editing: Elena Soler

Acknowledgements:
Mariangeles González
Guillermo Soler