The image shows an elderly man in the foreground, eyes closed and his face lit by the flash of a camera. His hand rests on the shoulder of a young lad. In the background a crowd can be seen gathered in darkness.

Between the Orange Tree and the Lime (2017) is a short film dedicated to the memory of flamenco singer and tabernero José Pérez Blanco (1945 - 2012), also known as Pepe Peregil. It is a meditation on presence and absence through flamenco song in Seville's Semana Santa, one of a series of audiovisual works on public space and collective memory narrated through the sensory language of the Semana Santa 2011 - 2017.

Part-ethnomusicological study, part-audiovisual poem, the film develops through a delicately composed soundtrack, consisting in sound and musical elements recorded live in Seville's streets during the Semana Santa. It takes the form of a time-travelling conversation between Pepe Peregil and his friend, the renowned singer Pili del Castillo, who in 2013 sings a lament to the Virgin:

“If arriving at your chapel
You notice something is missing
Do not worry mother of mine
I'm sure Peregil is singing to you from the Heavens”

Watch the film here (recommended to view the film in full-screen mode, ideally in darkness with good quality audio or headphones):

Technical details:

Title: Between the Orange Tree and the Lime (original language: Entre Naranjos y Cal)
Duration: 17 mins 03 secs
Date of production: 2017
Format: HD video 1920 x 1080, 5-channel audio. Also available with stereo soundtrack.

Dedicated to the memory of José María Blanco “Pepe Peregil” 1945 – 2012.

Credits

Produced with the support of the British Library.
Special thanks to Simon Day, Pili del Castillo and the Asociación Amigos de Peregil.