El libro de arena – The Book of Sand

“The Book of Sand” tells the story of the Dune of Valdevaqueros as a metaphor of the absurd will of humanity to dominate nature, while remaining separate from her. It presents a multifaceted approach which delves into the social, environmental and political facts that led to the formation of the dune, relating it to philosophical questions. It’s a local history that takes place in Punta Paloma (Tarifa, Cádiz) – an idyllic enclave in the Strait of Gibraltar, just 14 km away from Africa – where the dune originated as a result of the military intervention which took place in 1939, at the end of the Spanish Civil War. This operation radically changed the physiognomy of the area and generated long-term environmental and social consequences that remain to be resolved.