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The Zoo de Barcelona is looking for photos and videos of Copito de Nieve for a documentary
Barcelona is once again turning its gaze to one of its most shared memories. The Zoo is preparing a documentary about Copito de Nieve, the albino gorilla who for decades was much more than an attraction: he became a symbol of the city and an image imprinted in the memory of several generations.
The project aims to reconstruct that story with material from the public. That’s why the documentary team is asking for photos, videos, and memories from people who saw him at the Zoo, photographed him when they were children, or have family images from those visits that left a mark on so many people from Barcelona.
There is a very clear emotional aspect to this call. Copito de Nieve was part of the childhood of thousands of locals, school trips, and family weekend plans. Many of those images are now in albums, old tapes, or home archives that can help tell the story of the relationship between the animal and the city.
The intention is to premiere the documentary in November, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of his arrival at the Zoo de Barcelona. The date makes the project more than just an audiovisual piece: it will also be a way to reflect on how Barcelona’s view of its zoo, its animals, and its own urban memory has changed.
Copito de Nieve arrived in the city in 1966 from Guinea Ecuatorial and soon attracted extraordinary international attention due to his albinism. His uniqueness made him one of the most famous animals in the world, but in Barcelona his presence had a more familiar and everyday dimension.
For years, visiting the Zoo meant for many families also stopping by his enclosure. His image appeared in memories, postcards, photographs, reports, and family conversations, until he became a kind of familiar figure for those who grew up in the city.
The documentary will allow this memory to be recovered from different perspectives: not only the official history of the Zoo, but also that of those who watched him from outside the fence, remember him fondly, or want to explain what it meant to see him at a time when Barcelona was still very different.
The initiative comes at a time when zoos are also being viewed differently. Revisiting the story of Copito de Nieve means remembering a beloved icon, but also opening a conversation about how attitudes, conservation, and relationships with animals have changed. This mix of nostalgia and reflection is a big part of the documentary’s value.