Synopsis

“La batlessa” tells the story of Magdalena Mulet, who was the second mayoress of the Balearic Islands and one of the first in the State. Mulet was mayoress of Santa Eugenia (Mallorca) from 1969 to 1976, an almost heroic adventure for a woman at the time.

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Magdalena Mulet had to overcome a thousand difficulties to work in an environment of macho power that, on many occasions, saw her as an intruder. The documentary, directed by Marta Hierro and Núria Abad, discovers a character who remains forgotten today, and who is fundamental to building the memory of the Balearic Islands. As a result of the experiences narrated by the protagonist, the stories of other mayors of the Islands who have traveled the path that Magdalena opened are intertwined: Rosa Vich, who was mayor of Santa Maria for fourteen years; Catalina Cirer and Aina Calvo, first and second mayoress of Palma respectively; and Assumpta Vinent, the first female mayor of Ciutadella.

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The investigation carried out during the filming of the documentary led to the discovery of the figure of Magdalena Cifre Cerdà, a teacher from Pollença who, almost accidentally, became mayoress of Lloret de Vistalegre for three months in 1933, a fact that makes her the authentic first known mayoress in Mallorca.

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The documentary also takes a historical tour of the incorporation of women into municipal governments throughout the State. In the background of the story is the difficulty of incorporating women into political power, especially in the local sphere: the space closest to the citizen and the most difficult for women to access, in the Balearic Islands and throughout Europe.