Simultaneous collapse of the country and the city? The motif of the country house in Las verdes praderas (1979) by José Luis Garci and Surco (2022) by Mikel Gurrea

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of rural-urban relations in Spain, focusing on the rise of the middle class and the degradation of rural cultures. Through a comparative analysis of Las verdes praderas (1979) by José Luis Garci and Suro (2022) by Mikel Gurrea, it critically explores how mesocratic ideals, consolidated during Francoist developmentalism, have fueled a longing for a nonexistent rural Arcadia. Las verdes praderas reflects the disillusionment of an emerging urban middle class in the 1970s, while Suro addresses the return to the countryside through the lens of contemporary labor, racial, and ecological tensions. The analysis situates both works within a historical and ecological framework, highlighting the contradictions of the mesocratic dream and its connection to the ongoing climate crisis.