Original score from the 2026 animated feature film directed by Beñat Beitia and Elio Quiroga, featuring the voices of Paulina García, Alfredo Castro and Luis Gnecco, produced by Dibulitoon Studio, La Ballesta, El Otro Film and Malabar Animation Studio.

THE STORY: The odyssey of 2200 Spanish refugees who sailed from France to Chile in September 1939, escaping Francisco Franco’s dictatorship after three years of devastating Civil War.

THE SCORE: “Writing the score for Winnipeg, el barco de la esperanza has been quite an emotional journey. I have been involved in the project since its inception in 2019, when the producers asked me for a letter of interest to participate by writing its soundtrack. After reading the script, I remember becoming deeply moved. The story had a profound impact on me. Immediately after, I began researching and, among many other things, I discovered that members of one or several Basque choirs were traveling within the passenger contingent. For obvious reasons, I found this fact fascinating. They dedicated themselves to entertaining, singing in four-part harmony, during the long, complex, and difficult one-month crossing until reaching Valparaíso, through an Atlantic Ocean plagued with Nazi U-Boat submarines and overcoming a thousand obstacles that arose during the trip. They were a key piece. That is why I decided that the main theme would feature choral participation along with the symphony orchestra—and not only in this piece, which is the central DNA of the score that I later develop in the film, but also in many other compositions such as ‘Corazones Abiertos’ (Open Hearts). In my music, I try to ensure that everything is well-founded; nothing is gratuitous or left to chance. In the Main Theme of the score, the choir sings in Latin ‘Navis Pei’, which means ‘Ship of Hope’, followed by the word ‘WI-NNI-PEG’, the name of our ship. The role that the choir has in the soundtrack is a great tribute I wanted to pay to the original choir, which made the Winnipeg’s crossing more pleasant.

It is one of my most intimate and personal works to date. It is the music of the historical epic of the Winnipeg, the music of nostalgia and sorrow for the lost homeland, and the grandeur of what was an exceptional gesture of solidarity. It is also the music of excitement and longing, of a search filled with hope to start living anew. The score, an ambitious musical production, was recorded between Santa Cruz de Tenerife, my city, and Prague. I had the privilege of working with the prestigious Coro de Voces Blancas del Conservatorio Profesional de Música de Santa Cruz (Children’s Choir of the Professional Conservatory of Music of Santa Cruz). It is, in fact, our third collaboration in my filmography. The Winnipeg Male Choir, specially created for this project, also participated. The orchestra was recorded at the prestigious Smecky Studios, performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, all under my baton.

It has been an honor and a huge responsibility to tell, through my music, such a significant chapter of our history. It was one of those acts of solidarity between peoples that, even today, makes more sense than ever. As Julia beautifully tells us in the film, there were and there are many more Winnipegs today. Ships and stories of emigration that deserve to be made visible. May the Winnipeg’s crossing continue beyond the seas!” – Diego Navarro

THE COMPOSER: Diego Navarro is one of the most renowned names in Spanish film music nowadays. His latest works have received several awards and nominations like his World Soundtrack Award nomination for Passage to Dawn, and a double nomination to the IFMCA awards, for Capture the Flag. His music for The Mauthausen Photographer was nominated for ‘Best Orchestral Score’ at the XI Gaudí Awards and the II Spanish Audiovisual Music Awards. El cuco received the Best Music award at the 24th Fantastic Costa del Sol International Film Festival in 2023. As a conductor, Navarro is considered nowadays one of the most important batons in the universe of film music. He is also a main promoter of the genre as the director and founder of Fimucité, the worldwide known Tenerife International Film Music Festival. His scores for Dos, El cuco, Mariposas negras and SuperKlaus were released by MovieScore Media.

MMS26654 WINNIPEG, EL BARCO DE LA ESPERANZA (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Music Composed, Orchestrated and Conducted by DIEGO NAVARRO
Release date: July 10, 2026