Barcelona’s international music documentary festival brings together 70 films across eight sections, exploring musical histories, influential artists and local scenes. With screenings continuing until 8 November, here are three films that offer a taste of this year’s program.

The 24th edition of In-Edit, Barcelona’s international music documentary festival, is taking place at Mooby Aribau Cinemes until 8 November. This year’s program brings together 70 films across eight sections, covering musical movements, artists and cultural histories from different parts of the world.

The selection moves between internationally recognized names and stories rooted in particular places and communities. Alongside documentaries about musicians such as Sun Ra, the program gives space to Catalan productions exploring local music scenes, their histories and the communities around them.

For those still deciding what to see during the festival’s final week, three films offer different ways into the program.

Three films to look out for

Però abans d’això hi haurà set: music, territory and resistance

Screenings: 1 November at 16:30 and 8 November at 17:15

Directed by Màrius Intente Cardellach and Pau Ballesté Aguirre, this 55-minute documentary follows Remei de Ca la Fresca, a four-member group from Arbúcies whose sound moves between visceral rock, psychedelia, folk and spoken word.

The film follows the musicians on and off stage, from rehearsals and concerts to life on tour, while exploring their connection to the Montseny (pronounced roughly “mun-SENY”), a mountainous massif just north of Barcelona. Its highest peak, Turó de l’Home, reaches 1,706 metres. The surrounding Parc Natural del Montseny is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, known for its diverse forests and landscapes. A recognisable landmark in Catalonia, the Montseny has long inspired a strong sense of local identity.

But the story also looks beyond the music. While Remei de Ca la Fresca celebrate their surroundings, large bottling companies are extracting water from the area's aquifers. The documentary also introduces AiguaClara, a local collective opposing this exploitation.

The screening on 1 November includes an introduction by the directors and a Q&A with Remei de Ca la Fresca, followed by a concert.

A live rock band performing on an outdoor stage at night under dramatic purple and pink stage lighting, with a vocalist singing into a microphone.
A scene from the documentary Però abans d’això hi haurà set: Music, Territory and Resistance, featured at the In-Edit Festival. Photo: In-Edit Press.

The Magic City: Birmingham According to Sun Ra: the making of a jazz visionary

Screenings: 1 November at 21:30 and 8 November at 20:40

Directed by Guillaume Maupin and Pablo Guarise, this 97-minute documentary turns to Birmingham, Alabama, to explore the early life of jazz musician Sun Ra, born Herman Poole Blount in 1914.

Birmingham was an industrial city in the segregated American South, and the film examines how its political and cultural environment shaped the musician’s early thinking and music. Sun Ra left the city for Chicago at the age of 32, but the documentary returns to the place where he developed the ideas that would later inform his distinctive musical and philosophical universe.

Rather than focusing only on his later career, the film portrays both the young musician and the city that helped shape him. It explores the relationship between music, race, place, and artistic imagination in the American South.

A jazz band performing outdoors on a stage with a decorated backdrop, featuring musicians playing the trumpet, saxophone, and piano.
Scene from The Magic City at In-Edit Festival. Photo: In-Edit Press.

Flying Free: Historia de un himno (Pont Aeri): the story behind a Catalan dance anthem

 Screenings: 6 November at 21:05 and 7 November at 21:25

Directed by Jordi Papasey, this 65-minute documentary traces the story of “Flying Free”, the track that became one of the best-known anthems of Catalan mákina culture.

The song was created in 1999, at the height of Pont Aeri, the club associated with the mákina and hardcore techno scene. DJ Marc Escudero, producer Rubén Moreno and vocalist Marian Dacal were behind the track, which went from an initially lukewarm reception to becoming a hit on radio stations and dance floors across Spain.

Using archive footage, family stories and interviews with the people involved in its creation, the documentary looks at how a track made in a bedroom became a cultural phenomenon. More than 25 years later, its presence at local festivals, weddings and in the memories of several generations shows how far it travelled beyond its original club scene.

The 6 November screening includes a warm-up session with Dany BPM and an introduction with director Jordi Papasey and several of the artists involved in the story. 

A female performer sings into a microphone with one arm raised, wearing a sparkling pink and gold outfit.
Scene from Flying Free. Photo: In-Edit Press.

More than films: concerts, DJs and special activities

In-Edit’s program extends beyond cinema screenings, with live music and DJ sessions accompanying selected events. The festival also includes In-Edit Lab, a program of professional activities and discussions connected to music documentaries and audiovisual production.

For audiences interested in Nigerian music, the program includes documentaries exploring different generations of the country’s music scene. These include Jeremy Marre’s Konkombe: The Nigerian Pop Music Scene (1979) and Karam Gill’s Wizkid: Long Live Lagos (2025), which follows the contemporary Afrobeats star.

The festival also continues beyond its cinema dates. A selection of films will be available on CaixaForum+ from 7 to 22 November, giving audiences another opportunity to explore the program after the screenings in Barcelona have ended.

Is it worth going?

In-Edit’s strength lies in the variety of musical worlds it brings together. This year’s program moves between internationally recognized artists and stories rooted in particular communities, places and historical moments.

For Barcelona residents, the Catalan productions are particularly worth exploring. Flying Free: Historia de un himno looks back at the mákina scene and the club culture surrounding Pont Aeri, while Però abans d’això hi haurà setconnects contemporary music with local identity and community life, while also addressing the environmental pressures affecting the Montseny mountain and region. Together, they bring different aspects of Catalan musical culture to the screen.

The Magic City: Birmingham According to Sun Ra offers a different perspective, using the history of Birmingham to explore the relationship between music, place and identity in a  segregated American South.

These three selections are not intended as a ranking of the festival’s best films. Rather, they highlight the range of stories available to audiences during its final week. With screenings continuing until 8 November, there is still time to discover something beyond the familiar names.

Good to know

Screening times, ticket availability and any program changes can be checked through the official In-Edit website.

Three useful Catalan phrases

  • Quina pel·lícula em recomanes? – Which film would you recommend?
  • Una entrada per a aquesta sessió, si us plau. – One ticket for this screening, please.
  • Encara queden entrades? – Are tickets still available?