While nonfiction film has always played a significant role in the history of American cinema, it has begun to play a much more prominent role in international film culture. The affordability of digital video production has democratized the process of documentary filmmaking, giving new directors the opportunity to explore more immediate representations of current events. Pragda presents a series of provocative and brilliantly conceived Spanish documentaries that have invigorated the genre with new forms of expression. Highlights of the series include My Grandmother's House, winner of the prestigious Joris Ivens Award at the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam; Fernando Trueba's The Miracle of Candeal, a powerful document of a Brazilian favela that demonstrates how music can become a tool for social change, and The Basque Ball, directed by Julio Medem (Sex and Lucia), one of the most controversial films ever produced in Spain.