Podcast Summary: Hoy por Hoy Magazine — Entrevista con Guillermo Galoe, director de “Ciudad sin sueño”

Podcast: Hoy por Hoy
Host: Àngels Barceló (with Nacho Carretero and Aitana Castaño)
Guest: Guillermo Galoe (director de “Ciudad sin sueño”)
Date: December 2, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Hoy por Hoy centers on the film Ciudad sin sueño, directed by Guillermo Galoe. The conversation explores the making and meaning of the film—a unique fiction rooted in the real-life community of Cañada Real, the largest informal settlement in Europe. The discussion delves into community storytelling, issues of representation, the impact of displacement, and the power of cinema to reimagine marginalized realities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Stage: Personal Contexts & Introductions

• [00:36–04:33]: The episode opens with greetings across continents (Àngels in Spain, Aitana in Asturias, Nacho in Buenos Aires), celebrating Aitana Castaño’s book release, and Nacho explaining his current stay in Argentina related to a masterclass on adapting reality to fiction.
  • Notable moment: Marisa Valleroso’s live performance at Aitana's book launch (02:09–03:07).

Connecting Reality and Fiction

• [04:33]: The relevance of Nacho’s masterclass (“adaptar material real a formatos audiovisuales de ficción”) is set as a parallel to what Guillermo Galoe does in Ciudad sin sueño—crafting fiction deeply embedded in real communities ([04:33–05:16]).

Enter Guillermo Galoe: Motivation & Approach

• [05:16–06:27]: Guillermo Galoe describes his introduction to Cañada Real in 2014 while documenting evictions and being struck by the energy and desire for recognition in its people.
  • Quote:
    “Me impactó al instante, me pareció que estaba en un lugar fuera del espacio del tiempo... lo único que piden es que les devolvamos la mirada. Y la película lo que intenta es mirarle a los ojos.” —Galoe [05:40]

Building Trust & Representation

• [06:27–08:09]: Gaining community trust was a slow process due to prior negative, stigmatizing representations. Galoe emphasizes the film’s goal to produce a dignified, authentic portrait through six years of embedded presence before even filming.
  • Quote:
    “El proceso fue poco a poco... he estado trabajando seis años de manera cotidiana... al principio, los dos primeros años, era una relación más, un diálogo, conocernos mutuamente sin sacar una cámara.” —Galoe [06:36]

The Complexities of Leaving Home

• [08:23–10:17]: The hosts and Galoe discuss why many Cañada Real residents resist being moved to state-offered apartments (pisos), highlighting the disintegration of tight communal bonds and the loss of personal autonomy.
  • Quote:
    “El realojo deja a familias a kilómetros de distancia... El hogar y la comunidad como lo que yo soy y de repente dejo de ser. Es más eso.” —Galoe [09:53]

Purpose: Art, Utility, and the Right to Dream

• [11:30–13:16]: Nacho Carretero asks whether the film is intended as a tool for social denouncement or simply results in one by showing reality. Galoe reflects on the political act of enabling alternate representations and upholding the community’s right to beauty and to dream.
  • Quote:
    “Yo creo que si, la belleza también es un derecho, el derecho a la dignidad y a la representación... cuando la comunidad reelabora su propio mundo y crea una ficción, estamos hablando de la ficción como forma de crear representaciones alternativas, de crear futuros distintos...” —Galoe [11:30]

The Narrative Power of Oral Storytelling

• [13:16–15:49]: Aitana highlights the role of women’s oral storytelling in the community and how Galoe uses this as a narrative device to counter daily hardship with hope and “futuros llenos de colores.”
  • Quote:
    “Las mujeres, que son quienes de alguna forma sostienen en ese círculo de cuidados la identidad familiar, ofrecen a los niños una alternativa a este miserabilismo... hablan de un futuro lleno de colores, lleno de abundancia.” —Galoe [14:18]

Creating the Film: Casting, Scripting, and Community Involvement

• [15:49–17:46]: Galoe details the iterative process of scripting and casting, underlining how real community members (not professional actors) shaped the dialogues and how the script evolved during rehearsal, retaining authenticity.
  • Quote:
    “Solo podía ser allí, tenía que ser con la gente de allí... Conseguimos a través de mucho ensayo... que el guión se haga.” —Galoe [16:06]
  • The making of the film became a local event with strong community participation ([17:33–17:46]).

The Community’s Response & the Film’s Reception

• [17:46–20:23]: The group discusses the communal premiere, the empowerment of protagonists (especially Toni, a young Roma actor), and moments when the community saw itself represented with dignity for the first time.
  • Quote:
    “Para él era un grandísimo orgullo. Y por supuesto, para toda su comunidad.” —Galoe, about Toni winning a Goya [19:33]
  • ACTUAL AUDIO: Toni receiving the Goya [20:27]

Broader Impact and Universality

• [21:39–23:43]: Aitana asks if the film gives hope to children in Cañada Real. Galoe explains how, despite hardships and lack of clear futures, there remains “mucha vitalidad” and universal themes of identity and belonging that resonate globally, as evidenced by the film’s international success.
  • Quote:
    “Lo que vi es que en Cañada hay muchísimos sueños, hay muchísima vitalidad... no es tan específico de Cañada. Y creo que ese es también el logro de la peli, es decir, trascender el tema.” —Galoe [22:06]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• About the film’s mission:
  “La película lo que intenta es mirarle a los ojos.” —Galoe [05:40]

• On the long process of community trust:
  “He estado trabajando seis años de manera cotidiana...” —Galoe [06:36]

• On disintegrating communities:
  “El hogar y la comunidad como lo que yo soy y de repente dejo de ser.” —Galoe [09:53]

• On beauty as a political right:
  “La belleza también es un derecho, el derecho a la dignidad y a la representación.” —Galoe [11:30]

• On the role of women’s stories:
  “Las mujeres... ofrecen a los niños una alternativa a este miserabilismo.” —Galoe [14:18]

• On collective empowerment:
  “De repente estar en el centro del cine mundial era una victoria.” —Galoe [19:33]

Important Timestamps

• [04:33] – Introduction to "Ciudad sin sueño" and Guillermo Galoe
• [05:16] – Why Cañada Real? Galoe’s initial impact
• [06:27] – Building community trust
• [08:54] – The desire to stay in Cañada Real and its implications
• [11:30] – Nacho’s question on film’s utility/denunciation; Galoe’s reflection
• [14:18] – The power of women’s oral stories in the community
• [16:06] – Script development and authentic casting
• [17:49] – Premiere in Cañada Real
• [19:33] – Empowerment of the actors, especially Toni
• [20:27] – Audio: Toni collects his Goya award
• [22:06] – Universal resonance and impact on children/community

Tone & Style

This episode’s tone is deeply empathetic, intimate, and respectful—oscillating between admiration for the film’s artistry, concern for the social realities depicted, and recognition of the resilience and creativity of marginalized communities.

Conclusion

Ciudad sin sueño stands as an example of fiction that honors and dignifies the real-life struggles and dreams of the Cañada Real community. Through long-term, trust-based engagement and collaborative storytelling, Guillermo Galoe and his team produce a work that transcends mere documentation to become an act of political, poetic representation—one that empowers its subjects and resonates universally.

Àngels Barceló wraps the episode encouraging listeners to see the film:

“Ahora en los mejores cines la pueden ustedes ver, No se la pierdan.” [23:43]