La Furgo Screenwriter Ramon Pardina Highlights Housing Crisis in Film Presentation

Ramon Pardina, screenwriter of the film *La furgo* and co-author of its source graphic novel, appeared at the Cineclub de la Seu on Thursday to present the work. Directed by Eloy Calvo, the story follows a man forced to live in a van after losing his home, highlighting the escalating housing crisis.

Pardina, known for his time on the satirical show *Polònia* and his novelised biography *L’home de la porteria* about former FC Barcelona president Josep Lluís Núñez, developed the concept with artist Martín Tognola. The idea originated from a mutual acquaintance living on a boat, but they opted for a van to make it more grounded and "proletarian." Unlike a bohemian lifestyle, the narrative portrays van-dwelling as a desperate response to eviction fears, not a romantic choice. "Living on wheels has something of a freedom dream," Pardina noted, "but here it's more a last resort when no other options remain."

The protagonist, a father without a driver's licence—traits Pardina shares—struggles with daily realities like showering, drawn from interviews with a real van-dweller, a Sant Andreu footballer. The story expands into broader themes of rootlessness and depression, with the character emerging from isolation by seeking help from his brother. Audiences have connected particularly with this arc, Pardina said, reflecting contemporary struggles.

Conceived in 2018 amid rising activism from figures like Ada Colau and the Plataforma d'Afectats per la Hipoteca, the project now feels prescient. "We thought maybe by publication the housing problem would be solved," Pardina remarked wryly. "Ingenuous! It's a multi-headed monster, an alien you can never quite kill."

Calvo approached soon after the graphic novel's release, sharing a matching vision and tone. Pardina's screenwriting debut required emotional distance to adapt the imagined world to film, but the result aligns closely with the original.