Canary Islands Las Palmas (1962)

An island of perpetual springtime, Pathe Pictorial shows us life in Las Palmas - locals dancing in traditional dress, girls doing needlework in the open air - making lace embroidery. We see activities at a tomato farm, and at a banana plantation, with close shots of half ripe hands of fruit, flower buds being trimmed and fruit being picked. Next we see a tourist at Las Palmas airport taking a huge bunch of bananas onto a plane. A Sabena jet takes off and another is seen taxiing.A rural farmer is shown ploughing the land with a traditional ox and plough, and another leads a donkey up the street with a large burden of canes. Shots of the mountains, houses, beautiful coast with unspoilt beaches, are followed by a beach crammed with holiday makers. A girl has a huge straw hat. Some tourist children play in the edge of the water. This is contrasted by a sequence showing the poverty and simple life of the locals showing fishermen in small rowing boats pulling them up the beach. The women share out the catch - mostly sardines, and they carry off the baskets on their heads. The men sort out the nets. This is at Puerto de las Nieves. Elsewhere, women are shown in a line washing on stones. Some people live in cave dwellings in the rocks, where we see a woman with child, various locals and the church. We finally see a sequence with locals dancing in traditional dress in the main square, with others playing guitar, and people watching. 41' of picture neg missing at the start of the story. No print available for this item.