Fran Benavente and Glòria Salvadó-Corretger have published the book ReFocus. The Films of Joaquín Jordá, released by Edinburgh University Press.

This is the first academic book in English devoted to Joaquim Jordà. Through an interdisciplinary approach to his work, 17 researchers from European, American, Spanish and Catalan universities assess Jordà’s importance within Spanish and European cinema. Each chapter offers an original perspective on his work. The volume provides readers with an in-depth and critical analysis of his oeuvre and contributes to bringing greater visibility to a filmmaker who remains relatively little known internationally.

The Films of Joaquín Jordá grants international recognition to Jordà’s work and addresses key aspects of his practice, such as his relationship with militant cinema, his political and social activism, the performative dimension of his work, his role as a screenwriter, biopolitics in his films, the critical reception of his work, as well as the presence of Barcelona in his cinema (geographies and urbanism). In addition, it offers, for the first time, analyses of the artistic reworking of his films, his engagement with cinematic genres, his unfinished projects, his role as an educator (Jordà’s pedagogy, extensively developed during his time as a lecturer at UPF), his legacy in Spanish cinema and beyond, his work in television, and his writings on cinema and politics.

Joaquim Jordà is not only one of the most important directors in the history of Spanish cinema; through his films, he also connects this history with the ideological and aesthetic movements that shaped European cinema and culture. His influence transcends the spheres of both cinema and politics, revealing a distinct way of understanding, producing and teaching film.

He was a multidisciplinary author, always attentive to historical and political changes, observing them with a critical eye.

The publication of this book forms part of a broader programme of activities to be launched in 2026 by Numax. Centre d’Estudis Joaquim Jordà, marking the twentieth anniversary of his death.

This book has been made possible thanks to the collaboration of the CINEMA Group, the Social Council of UPF, and Numax. Centre d’Estudis Joaquim Jordà.