Catalonia is known for its sea-side markets (la boqueria), gothic architecture -- championed by Antoni Gaudí -- and sparkling white champagne (cava). The territory boasts its own language (Catalun), flag, and governing body (Generalitat). But perhaps the most dramatic display of Catalonian culture comes from the people themselves, who literally and figuratively band together to build human-towers (castells).

“The human tower is a metaphor for the Catalonian identity,” says Montserrat Rossell Xicola, a journalist and producer of the film Castells, created by Autobahn, a London-based production company. Xicola grew up in the Vallès Oriental region of Catalonia and always admired castells Her brother temporarily competed though she never participated herself.

Observers say the practice is symbolic of togetherness, the elimination of class