From Silence to Rediscovery: Dr. José Eduardo Villalobos Graillet Uncovers the Censorship Scandal Behind Las melancólicas

Dr. José Eduardo Villalobos Graillet, assistant professor of Spanish in the Department of Anthropology and Languages at Idaho State University, has recently published a groundbreaking article that sheds new light on Las melancólicas (1972), a film by Spanish director Rafael Moreno Alba. The article, titled “Las melancólicas de Rafael Moreno Alba: crónica de una controversia y censura” (Melancholic Women by Rafael Moreno Alba: Chronicle of a Controversy and Cinematic Censorship), appears in the latest issue of Hispanic Studies Review and brings fresh attention to a film that had nearly disappeared from public memory.

Set in a women’s asylum in the late 19th century, Las melancólicas tells the story of a reform-minded doctor who seeks to improve the conditions of his patients. At its center is Tania, a young woman who carries the emotional burden of her family’s past. With striking imagery, the film explores questions of medical treatment, social institutions, and the role of memory in shaping personal identity.

The film’s trajectory, however, took an unexpected turn. In January 1973, due to a distribution mishap, a version of Las melancólicas was shown in Santiago de Compostela. The projection, which contained scenes later revised, sparked debate and led to the film being withdrawn from circulation. Although briefly re-released in 1979, the movie never achieved the recognition it might have deserved, and its history remained largely forgotten.

Thanks to a faculty travel grant from the College of Arts and Letters, Dr. Villalobos Graillet conducted archival research in Madrid and Alcalá de Henares in the summer of 2024. Consulting production scripts, censorship records, and contemporary press coverage, he reconstructed the complex story of the film’s creation, distribution, and disappearance. He also examined the preserved copy at the Filmoteca Española and the international release, House of the Insane Women.

The project has strong ties to the classroom. The research originated while Dr. Villalobos Graillet was teaching a graduate seminar on Spanish cinema, where Las melancólicas became a fascinating case study of how films reflect social realities and raise questions about memory and representation.

“Bringing this film into the classroom made me realize how little was known about it,” explained Dr. Villalobos Graillet. “Its story shows how cinema, even when overlooked, continues to offer valuable lessons about the past.”

By recovering this forgotten film and piecing together its fragmented history, Dr. Villalobos Graillet contributes to a broader understanding of Spanish cultural heritage. His work also highlights Idaho State University’s commitment to internationally engaged scholarship, combining rigorous academic research, teaching innovation, and global collaboration.

The full article can be read in Spanish in Hispanic Studies Review.