In Spain, undocumented migrants must spend three years living in the country before they can legally work. Many are left homeless, jobless and forced into illicit work on the streets as ‘chatarreros’ – collecting scrap metal in exchange for small amounts of money.

Esto Podría Funcionar introduces a group of African migrants who have grasped the opportunity to begin something remarkable despite their circumstances. Harnessing their diverse skillset, these individuals have created a sustainable recycling service in Barcelona, Alencop Cooperative. The team collect, repair and resell household appliances, providing the chance of a new life for these objects, but also for themselves.

Their ethos of graft and community has already taken them so far, but with tight margins, choking bureaucracy and experience in their new homeland thin on the ground, we wonder, could this work?

This documentary was screened online at Tokyo Lift-Off Film Festival, nominated for Best Short Documentary at Close:Up Edinburgh Docufest and won 2nd Best Social Documentary at Beyond Earth Film Festival in 2019.

In January 2019, Esto Podría Funcionar was aired on Catalan television channel Betevé.