Mass Graves of Shame. A History of Buried Memories is an interactive web documentary produced by the Delegation of Democratic Memory of the Provincial Council of Valencia that confronts the horror of war and repression through the mass graves of Valencia. The project explores how violence, silence, and fear shaped lives and landscapes, and how remembrance, dignity, and justice emerge through the act of uncovering what was deliberately hidden for decades.
Conceived as both a narrative and a space for encounter, the webdoc is linked to an interactive portal that functions as a meeting place for sharing, learning, and collective understanding of one of the most painful chapters of Valencia’s recent history. It is addressed to family members searching for answers, researchers, educators, activists in historical memory, and all those who wish to understand how democratic societies confront legacies of mass violence.
Visitors are invited to actively engage with the project contributing with knowledge, sharing stories (if they wish), and expressing perspectives. Every voice matters. Together, these contributions help raise awareness of a history that remained buried for too long, and reaffirm the social and political value of memory as a foundation for democracy and human rights.
An immersive and interactive experience
The webdoc has been designed as an extrasensory and interactive experience. Through texts, archival materials, photographs, audiovisual testimonies, and film footage, users are guided through a visually rich and accessible environment that encourages reflection, learning, and discovery. Each element has been carefully selected to convey the complexity of mass graves and the lives of the victims buried within them.
The project situates the mass graves of Valencia within a broader historical and ethical framework. War and repression are presented not as isolated events, but as recurring features of human history, where power has often been legitimised through violence. Alongside suffering and imposed silence, the webdoc highlights resistance, memory, dignity, and outrage.
Unearthing mass graves after decades of silence is not about reopening wounds. It is an essential act of recognition: honouring those who were murdered, restoring dignity to the places of violence, offering answers to families, and contributing to the healing of a democratic society that refuses to walk over a hidden past.
Credits
Production
Delegación de Memoria Democrática de la Diputación de Valencia
Director
Bressol Produccions
Script and text
Carles Senso
Recording and audiovisual editing
Toni Lucas – Vicent Pons
Colour correction
Ricardo Fornés
Translations and subtitling
Desmond Graal – Maria Prats Vidal – Jota Martínez Galiana
Graphic design and web development
Granissat Estudi Creatiu
Music
Edu Comelles
Musical arrangements
Rafa Ramos Sania