What is Fallas?

This will be our final post about Fallas 2010 and then we’ll shut up about it… for 3 months or so! Below, you’ll find links to all the posts of this year’s Fallas festivities and some pictures which we hadn’t published yet.

• Ninot Exhibit 2010
• Fallas Pelota Tournament
• Color Mascletà (Cabalgata Infantil)
• La Despertà 2010
• Mascletà on the day of the Despertà
• Fallas 2010: La Crida

Mascletàs of 2010:

• First Mascletà – March 1st
• Mascletà March 2nd
• Mascletà March 3th (got canceled)
• Mascletà March 4th
• Mascletà March 5th
• Mascletà March 6th
• Mascletà March 7th
• Mascletà Napolitana********
• Mascletà March 8th
• Mascletà March 9th
• Mascletà March 10th
• Mascletà March 11th
• Mascletà March 12th
• Mascletà March 13th
• Mascletà March 14th
• Mascletà March 15th
• Mascletà March 16th
• Mascletà March 17th
• Mascletà March 18th
• Ultima Mascletà March 19th
• Miniature Street Mascletàs

And….

• Cant de L’Estoreta 2010
• The Lights of Ruzafa 2010 (Sueca)
• Fallas 2010: Applying the Final Touches
• Street Light Battle Heats Up! (Literato Azorín)
• La Planta and Buñuelos
• David Villa as Super Fallero
• Castillo March 15th
• Castillo March 17th
• Fallas 2010: Bullfight on March 19th
• La Ofrenda
• The Nit de Foc
• Cabalgata del Fuego
• La Cremà

Special Selection Fallas:

• Fallas 2010: The Winner
• Nou Campanar – 2nd Place
• Almirante Cadarso – 3rd Place
• Sueca – 4th Place
• Malvarrosa – 6th Place (we didn’t make it out there)
• Plaza de Pilar – 6th Place
• Na Jordana – 7th Place
• Duque de Calabria – 8th Place
• Exposición – 9th Place
• Cuba-Literato Azorín – 10th Place
• Pl. Merced – 11th Place
• L’Antiga de Campanar – 12th Place
• Archiduque – Sin Premio

The remaining random Fallas pictures in no specific order:

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The embarrassing “Sin Premio” (without prize) distinction went this year to Archiduque Carlos Chiva for their rather uninspired monument which featured a giant devil dancing around scenes from hell. This just wasn’t on the same level as the other special section monuments, and sadly deserved last place. There were a couple fun ninots, but overall it was smaller in scale, and not too clever.

- ABC BnB Valencia

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Oh, poor L’Antiga! Every year they make such a great effort, but with the monstrosity of Nou Campanar looming just blocks away, they always fail to impress the judges.

I don’t know. I liked their monument this year. “The Hour of Truth” featured an old man (Father Time?) keeping watch over a number of ecological disasters. Uncle Sam & Obama stood on the top of a drowning Statue of Liberty, while the waters rise; a polar bear clings to a last bit of ice; recycling and deforestation pop up, and so on.

But 12th place was the best L’Antiga could manage… same as last year. At least they avoided the dreaded “sin premio” designation!

- What is Fallas?

Now, we think 11th place was a little unfair for Plaza de la Merced’s 2010 monument. Theirs has consistently been one of the least interesting special section offerings, but the commission really stepped it up with this year’s “Passage Through Valencia”, and deserved better than 11th.

A huge touristic train rumbles through different scenes of the “New Valencia”, filled with sightseers and animals from the Bioparc. It was humorous, and well-done.

Keep at it Merced! You’re headed in the right direction.

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Alright, 10th place isn’t the greatest finish ever for the Fallas commission of Cuba-Literato Azorín, but they did emerge from the festival with the victory they were really hoping for — the prize for best Street Lights.

Filmed with the Sanyo VPC – CS 1 (super tiny) available here: USA, UK, Deutschland and Spain

In the dark blue glow of their beautiful lights, the monument almost seemed to be an afterthought… “The Family Skala” was a portrayal of a bourgeoisie family in Victorian England. An old man stood atop a spiral staircase, who could have been Watson, and other characters and scenes from the period littered the scene.

Our favorite ninot was of Jack the Ripper knocking on a door, with his blade hidden behind his back. But otherwise, this monument was just not as well done as a lot of others, and seriously suffered by its proximity to Sueca’s wonderful ode to the nations of the world.

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A free-fall in the final standings for Exposición-Mícer Mascó, who finished in 4th place last year, and 3rd in 2008. And what can you say… they didn’t deserve much better than 9th, with a monument lacking in humor and ripe in sentimentality.

Filmed with the Sanyo VPC – CS 1 (super tiny) available here: USA, UK, Deutschland and Spain

“We can give you confidence, but…” was the motto, and the figures were concentrated on abuses of confidence. The monument featured two over-stressed grandparents and a number of demanding, mischievous children — taking advantage of them.

Although the main monument didn’t fare so well with the judges, the Infantil did, and took home the top prize. A lot of the ninots were really fun, and Exposición was honored to have the one ninot which is saved from a fiery death by the public this year. So it was far from a total wash for the commission.

Saved Ninot 2010:

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The Special Section monument closest to our apartment wasn’t one of the most celebrated. But Duque de Calabria’s ode to eavesdropping still had a lot of great aspects. “But Don’t Tell Anyone” was the theme, and featured two buñuelo-munching ladies as its centerpiece, engaged in their favorite occupation: gossip.

Filmed with the Sanyo VPC – CS 1 (super tiny) available here: USA, UK, Deutschland and Spain

Around them, various characters try to listen in on the goods. A waiter pouring out more coffee, a maid engaged in dusting, an old man listening in from atop a coat rack (one of their husbands?), a cat holding a mic with its tail, and a fat kid with a webcam, recording the gossip for the YouTube generation.

The ninots were good, too… highlights included a double-headed Rita and the Queen kissing a donkey (based on a real picture!). We also loved the cut-away of an entire house full of people listening in on the amorous action of one of the inhabitants.

8th place is maybe a disappointment, but a step up from their 2009 finish. Progress!

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Na Jordana’s monument impressed most in the evening hours, when its haunted mansion and creepy figures were lit up and given an extra air of spookiness.

Filmed with the Sanyo VPC – CS 1 (super tiny) available here: USA, UK, Deutschland and Spain

The motto this year was “Pelqueveigesticboig”, which I’m not even going to try and translate. Na Jordana is most well-known for its sense of humor. Consistent front-runners for the prize rewarding wit and ingenuity, they took it home again this year. Their monument was dedicated to insanity, a theme which provides ample comic opportunity. Dancing pigs and elephants atop a street light, a huge cow dragging her udders across the ground, and the highlight: Dr. Jeckyll’s conversion into Mr. Hyde.

7th place is probably a disappointment for the Na Jordana commission, but their monument was a lot of fun, and they should be proud of it. It’s become one of the monuments we most look forward to.

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(Note: we skipped 5th place, which went this year to the commission of Malvarrosa, titled “The Battle of Color”. We didn’t get down there to see it, much to our regret. If you’ve got any pictures, please let us know!)

Filmed with the Sanyo VPC – CS 1 (super tiny) available here: USA, UK, Deutschland and Spain

The Plaza de Pilar, in the rough n’ tumble neighborhood of Velluters, is a tiny space, which makes the construction and layout of their monuments almost as interesting as the figures themselves. They had our favorite construction of 2009, and this year’s was excellent as well. “Modern Times”.

Inventions and technological advances were the focus, which took its inspiration from the Charlie Chaplin film of the same name. Hot air balloons, early automobiles and a beautiful wooden phonograph made up the biggest figures. The ninots were, for some disjointed reason, dedicated to the beach and to the Olympics. But there were some hilarious ones, including a woman in a bikini… who was no woman at all!

We enjoyed the effort quite a bit, but understand why the commission dropped from 2nd to 6th. This year’s was great, but not up to the artistic genius of the 2009 monument (which should have won the top prize).

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- David Villa Photos and Video

A large Valencian man sleeps on the ground, dreaming of the world, in the monument of Sueca-Literato Azorín, titled “Planet Fallas”. Around and on top of him, we find characters from Scotland, the US, Mexico, Japan, India and other countries.

Filmed with the Sanyo VPC – CS 1 (super tiny) available here: USA, UK, Deutschland and Spain

This was a really fun monument; the portrayal of different cultures always provides a lot of opportunity for clever humor (and some good ‘ole Fallas-style racism). We saw a mutli-cutural paella competition, Nadal vs. Federer with an old Fallera judge, and various world leaders. There was a lot to look at.

This was the first monument my parents saw, and they loved it. For the commission, it marked a major improvement on their 9th place 2009 finish.

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