The fascinating true story of three children abandoned at France Station, new docuseries by Carles Porta

BarcelonaOn April 22, 1984, three siblings –two boys and a girl– appear alone at Barcelona's Estació de França. They are six, four, and two years old and are named Ramón, Richie, and Elvira. They don't know their surnames or their parents' names. Nor do they know what they are doing at that station. The three children only speak French and say they are from Paris. The mystery surrounding their origins has accompanied the three siblings for a good part of their lives, but when Elvira became pregnant, she decided it was time to try to discover who her parents were and why they abandoned them. This fascinating investigation has become the docuseries Abandonados, signed by Carles Porta's team, and will be available on Disney+ starting May 29. Before its official premiere, a first preview will be shown this Saturday at the DocsBarcelona festival.

The series has four episodes that chronologically explain the story of the three siblings from when they were abandoned and adopted by two Barcelona pedagogues who gave them a secure family environment until, forty years later, Elvira begins her search. Despite having practically no information about their lives before the abandonment, with great patience and the help of unexpected collaborators, she manages to unravel the mystery of their origins. The first place she shared her story was on the program Islàndia on RAC1, hosted by Albert Om. Some time later, she came into contact with Carles Porta's team, who helped her with the investigation and have turned the case into this docuseries created by journalist Anna Punsí and directed by Carlos Alonso Ojeda. "We got fully involved. We were on top of the case for many months, accompanying them on trips to France and Belgium and searching for documentation," explains the series creator about the work process.

Motherhood, a before and after

"With motherhood, I started asking myself many questions. Because of the pandemic, I slowed down and those questions took on a lot of resonance. That's when I need answers, but at the same time, I don't dare. It was my partner who pushed me," explains Elvira Moral, who says she always felt "that a piece of the puzzle was missing." "When I start to see my children grow up, the questions gain more strength because I imagine my siblings and myself as children. And I think: ‘Wow, they are little people who walk, who think, who remember’,” she reflects.

She admits that throughout the journey to find her origins, there have been moments when she has deflated. Despite this, the creator of Abandonados" assures that Elvira has been an example of tenacity. "She conveys a lot of kindness and at the same time a touch of innocence. This has caused many people to join her. All the people who have helped her have seen this kindness and good faith in her, as well as the strength she conveys to fight for what she desires," assures Punsí.

As the journalist indicates, Elvira has not been alone in her search. Besides her siblings, she has also had the help of a constellation of collaborators. "It is a story full of generosity and solidarity, and above all of women," remarks Carles Porta. These are mainly amateur researchers and genealogists who decided to dedicate their free time to trying to help the three siblings find their family. Elvira assures that this part of her life journey has reconciled her with humanity. "They are people who have helped me from the beginning until now. It still amazes me, because they didn't know me at all. With two of them [the women helping her], we didn't even speak the same language," she says.

Family project

Another of the prominent characters in the story is the adoptive mother of the three children, who always supported them in their search. "She had always told us to search. But we were at another time then. I will be eternally grateful to her because I don't think it would have been the same without her. With everything it must have meant to her, she told us 'go ahead, all of us together.' She has my absolute admiration," explains Elvira. Director Carlos Alonso points out that Elvira's mother, Marisa, is so important to the series that there is a moment when she becomes the protagonist.

now it can be seen worldwide through Netflix, While it is true that Crims can now be seen all over the world through Netflix, Abandonados is the first production by Carles Porta's factory made specifically for an international platform like Disney+.