Between the Orange Tree and the Lime

Between the Orange Tree and the Lime (2017) is a short film dedicated to the memory of flamenco singer and tabernero José Pérez Blanco, also known as Pepe Peregil. It is a poetic meditation on presence and absence through flamenco song in Seville's Semana Santa. The film focuses on the saeta, derived from the Latin word sagitta meaning arrow, a flamenco poem or prayer sung acapella to the effigies of Christ or the Virgin Mary as they are carried in procession during Easter Week. The title is drawn from a line of a saeta sung by Pepe Peregil in the Plaza del Museo, where he sang each Lunes Santo (the Monday following Palm Sunday) in consecutive years from 1967 through to 2011. “Between the orange trees and the lime Is my Virgin of the Museum” Part-ethnomusicological study, part-audiovisual poem, Entre Naranjos y Cal develops through a delicately composed soundtrack, consisting in sound and musical elements captured live in Seville's streets. Digital sound and images were shot entirely in the Plaza del Museo on the nights of Holy Monday 2011 and 2013. The film takes the form of a time-travelling conversation between Pepe Peregil and his friend, the renowned saetera 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” Between the Orange Tree and the Lime is one of a series of audiovisual poems on public space and collective memory, narrated through the sensory language of the Semana Santa. Dedicated to the memory of José María Blanco “Pepe Peregil” 1945 – 2012. Technical details Title: Between the Orange Tree and the Lime Duration: 17 mins 03 secs Date of production: 2017 Format: HD video 1920 x 1080, 5-channel audio Credits Produced with the support of the British Library.Special thanks to Simon Day, Pili del Castillo and the Asociación Amigos de Peregil.