Galicia-based Tic Tac productions will be the first company to make a feature-length film about the mass graves of those killed by General Franco's rebel forces in Spain.

Flores Tristes will be directed by respected local film-maker Teo Manuel Abad who has gained exclusive access to the graves and spoken to the families of those killed during the Franco's regime for the documentary.

'We were given access to the graves, which were unbelievable to see. We spoke to people who had been looking for family members for more than sixty years. In one, the only remaining semblance of a family member was his shoes,' Fernando Del Nido told Screen.

Abad shot a lot of footage back in 2006, and will be shooting again for the next four months in Galicia, before going into post production. 'The film should be ready by early next year. We plan to take it to the documentary festival IFDA in Amsterdam,' Nido adds.