Not so long ago, Galician Cinematography was considered close to nonexistent. The film industry had first appeared as late as the 1970s, albeit in a very limited aspect. Apart from a few feature movies in the 80s and 90s, such would remain the status quo until the year 2006.

It was then that the Galician authorities created a support programme for young filmmakers from the region. This aid was non-repayable and was treated more as a grant or bursary than a film production subsidy. The goal was to support creativity and develop a local industry base.

Talent is not born spontaneously, and besides funding and the artists’ own efforts, favourable circumstances are also essential. It is therefore crucial to examine such an industry marvel and define the elements that have enabled cinema originating from one of Spain’s poorer regions to conquer the global stage. To quote an age old proverb-success has many fathers; beyond the obvious talents of Galician directors, we can identify four key elements: education, regional screenings of regional movies, institutional support, and media interest.

The three main centres for training Galician directors are the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, EICTV in Cuba, and the film studies degree established in 2003 at the University of Santiago de Compostela. However, behind this formal education stand specific people and their knowledge, the curriculum, teaching talent, and outstanding commitment. One must highlight above all Margarita Ledo and Beli Martínez, who in Santiago had laid the groundwork for inspiring students and directing their interests towards art-house cinema. Another person who played an important role in this process is Alberte Pagán, the father of Galician experimental cinema. A filmmaker, a researcher of avant-garde cinema, the author of many books and articles, who has also held conversations with icons of such cinema like Peter Kubelka and Ken Jacobs.

Beyond formal education, the creation of local film clubs such as Lumière in Vigo, Padre Feijóo in Ourense, and Cineclube de Compostela in Santiago, along with the activity of the Filmoteca de Galicia (Galician Film Archive), was indispensable. From their very inception, they screened lesser-known classics of world cinema as well as films by local directors. Alongside these film clubs, festivals developed, such as Play-Doc, Curtocircuíto, Cineuropa, (S8) Mostra de Cinema Periférico and FICBUEU. This helped raise new generations of cinematically mature audiences. Their knowledge of cinema, their daring, and the richness of their programming are unique eye-stoppers. As a film lover from Poland, I envy the people of Galicia their access to films that often haven’t been heard of at all in Poland.

Media support became a stepping stone in its own right, reporting on what was happening in Galician cinema. These were often grassroot initiatives, such as the blog Acto de Primavera, founded in 2009 by Martín Pawley, Xurxo González, and José Manuel Sande, and A Cuarta Parede – the first electronic film magazine in the Galician language, established in 2011. Xornal de Galicia also played a significant role by supporting local filmmakers through their pages.

All of this built a very strong foundation. But the real explosion happened in 2010 when Oliver Laxe’s film, You All Are Captains, was honoured with numerous awards, including the FIPRESCI prize at the Cannes Film Festival. From that moment on, global media and the film industry began to look towards Galicia with increasing frequency. Further success for Galician films soon followed. A number of pictures emerged that conquered international festivals, such as: Vikingland (dir. Xurxo Chirro, FIDMarseille, 2011), Arraianos (dir. Eloy Enciso, Locarno, 2012), The Fifth Gospel of Kaspar Hauser (dir. Alberto Gracia, Rotterdam, 2013), Coast of Death (dir. Lois Patiño, Locarno, 2013), To Be and to Come Back (dir. Xacio Baño, Locarno, 2014).

The year 2010 is also special for another reason. It was then that Martín Pawley, a regular contributor to Xornal de Galicia, titled his article “2010: The Year of New Galician Cinema”. This term was later frequently questioned by researchers, film critics, and the filmmakers themselves. Many of them emphasise the thematic and formal diversity, making it difficult to speak of a single film school. But the very fact of living in a shared historical and geographical context means we can discern recurring themes relating to Galician identity. Migration from the countryside to cities, rural depopulation, local mythology and rituals, and emigration abroad are just some of the recurring narrative threads.

In 2025, fifteen years after Galician cinema ventured into the deep waters of world cinema, it continues to triumph. One need only point to three recent titles: The Rim (Alberto Gracia, Rotterdam, 2024), Ariel (Lois Patiño, Rotterdam, 2025), and Sirāt (Oliver Laxe, Cannes, 2025). “New Galician Cinema” remains a very significant voice in the international art-house scene.

Selecting films for the Cinemundo section was incredibly difficult. There are only three film blocks, whereas infinitely more were deserved; I could easily fill several more blocks. When choosing the films, besides artistic quality and significance to the “movement”, I tried to be guided by a desire to show the richness and diversity of this cinema, which is still little-known in Poland. During this year’s edition of the Tramway Film Festival, we will present films made from 2007 right up to 2024.

The Galicia of today is much more than Camino de Santiago, the picturesque Costa da Morte (Coast of Death), excellent seafood, and Albariño wine. With every passing year, every successful festival, the region is also associated with good cinema – it is right here that New Galician Cinema was born, which for over a decade has been gaining acclaim internationally, bringing freshness, originality, and a unique artistic sensibility.

My thanks to all the directors whose films I have had the pleasure of watching – for the inspiration, emotions, and beautiful works. Special thanks go to Manuel Pena Gómez, director and programmer of the Bueu International Film Festival (FICBUEU), and to Víctor Paz Morandeira of the Filmoteca de Galicia for the immense knowledge and help they bestowed upon me. It has been a truly beautiful cinematic adventure!

Bartosz Reetz, founder and artistic director of Tramway Film Festival

List of films selected for the non-competitive section Cinemundo:

• And so the night will fall | Ángel Santos Touza | Spain | 2021 | 13’ | Polish premiere
• Arraianos | Eloy Enciso Cachafeiro | Spain | 2012 | 66′ | Polish premiere
• Eclipse | Alberte Pagán | Spain | 2010 | 20’ | Polish premiere
• Neither God nor Santa Maria | Helena Girón, Samuel M. Delgado | Spain | 2015 | 11’
• Night without distance | Lois Patiño | Portugal, Spain | 2015 | 23’
• Paris#1 | Oliver Laxe | Spain | 2007 | 34′ | Polish premiere
• The bodies | Eloy Domínguez Serén | Spain | 2020 | 11’ | Polish premiere
• The rim | Alberto Gracia | Spain | 2024 | 83’ | Polish premiere
• To be and to come back | Xacio Baño | Spain | 2014 | 13’ | Polish premiere