Podcast Summary: Hoy por Hoy | December 2, 2025

SER Podcast | Host: Àngels Barceló
Main Guests: Guillermo Galoe, Ofelia Vila Hernández, Eduardo Barba, Martín Bianchi, Aitana Castaño, Nacho Carretero

Episode Overview

This episode of Hoy por Hoy Magazine delivers a multidisciplinary look at Spanish culture and society. The program highlights Guillermo Galoe's film “Ciudad sin sueño,” a poetic exploration of life in Madrid’s Cañada Real; introduces the powerful testimony of feminist and union activist Ofelia Vila Hernández; delves into the fascinating (and sneakily destructive) world of parasitic plants with Eduardo Barba; and finally, offers a commentary on current affairs and popular culture—from royal family dramas to the latest celebrity memoirs.

Key Topics and Insights

1. “Ciudad sin sueño”: Poetic Realism in Cañada Real

Segment: 04:33 — 23:58 and Recap at 88:01 — 89:08

The Setting & Vision

• The film “Ciudad sin sueño” (by Guillermo Galoe) is set and filmed with non-professional actors in Cañada Real Galiana, considered the largest informal settlement in Europe, just 15 minutes from the Madrid city center—yet residents lack running water, and since 2020, electricity.
• Director’s Approach: Galoe spent over six years building trust in the community, focusing initially on relationships before ever filming. The intention was to avoid stereotypical depictions and give dignity and complexity to residents’ lives.

  “La energía en la gente era muy fuerte, una necesidad de ser vistas, de ser escuchadas... Y la película lo que intenta es mirarle a los ojos.” (Guillermo Galoe, 05:40)

Building the Film

• Authenticity was paramount: The script (“unas 15 versiones”) emerged from observation and personal projection. The final cast only included people from the Cañada.
• Community Involvement: Filming became an event for residents; after completion, the film was screened at the local football field, offering the community a new, empowering image of themselves.
• Political and Artistic Value: The film chooses fiction and poetic narrative over raw documentary to offer an alternative, dream-filled depiction instead of stereotypical misery.

  “La belleza también es un derecho, el derecho a la dignidad y a la representación… crear una imagen distinta… tener el derecho de soñar, soñar como sueña Toni a través de sus imágenes llenas de colores.” (Guillermo Galoe, 11:30)

Social Context & Impact

• Community Identity vs. Realojos (Relocations): The film stresses the importance of communal life in Cañada, versus the atomization and loss experienced through rehousing programs.

  “El realojo deja a familias a kilómetros de distancia... no solo es algo físico, es algo emocional. El hogar y la comunidad como lo que yo soy y de repente dejo de ser.” (Guillermo Galoe, 09:52)

• Children and the Power of Oral Tradition: Women, through storytelling, sustain hope amid darkness, both literal and figurative.

  “Las mujeres... 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...” (Guillermo Galoe, 14:18 & 24:24)

• Universality of Marginalization: Audience responses across cultures (Doha, Arab world) suggest these themes resonate well beyond Madrid.

Notable Quotes

• “Esta película es una joya... unir la realidad y transformarla en ficción... poner luz en nuestras miserias...”
  (Nacho Carretero, 10:32)

• “Cuando la comunidad crea una ficción, estamos hablando de crear representaciones alternativas, de crear futuros distintos.”
  (Guillermo Galoe, 11:30)

• Key Moments:

  • 20:27: Audio from Toni (actor and resident) collecting the Goya for a prior short film.
  • 17:46: Description of the emotional community premiere in Cañada Real.

2. Ofelia Vila Hernández: Feminism and Memory

Segment: 24:36 — 39:44

Life, Activism & Family

• Background: Ofelia, 77, raised in a conservative family and inspired by her progressive aunt, broke away to pursue education and join the Communist Party during Francoist Spain.

  “Mi tía... dijo que no, que de ninguna de las maneras, que Ofelia tenía que estudiar. Entonces me llevó con ella a Vigo...” (Ofelia Vila Hernández, 26:47)

• Fighting for Women's Rights: Persisted in union and Party activism against male domination; achieved an executive position as “secretaria de la mujer de Comisiones Obreras del País Valencià”.

• Challenging Machismo: The movement’s men “eran totalmente machistas,” and women had to fight for meaningful leadership roles.

  “El machismo es inherente, es algo con lo que se nace y es difícil superarlo.” (Ofelia, 30:28)

• Educational Impact: Incorporated gender equality into teaching, even in small everyday practices (like greeting the class as “buenos días a todas”).

  “Al principio les expliqué que decía todas porque consideraba que tanto ellas como ellos son personas...” (Ofelia, 33:22)

Legacy and Perspective

• Value Transmission: Ofelia’s daughter and granddaughter (all named Ofelia) inherit both her name and activist spirit.
• Present-day Concerns: Though progress is recognized, Ofelia sees ongoing dangers for women’s rights and the need for continued feminist union work.
• Memorable Moment: Ofelia’s openness about being labeled an “adoctrinadora”—and her unashamed embrace of teaching in values.

3. Plants That Suck: The World of Plant Parasites

Segment: 44:22 — 62:17

What are Parasitic Plants?

• Definition & Examples: Like animal parasites, some plants (e.g., Rafflesia, Orobanche, Cuscuta, Mistletoe) “live off” other plants, extracting water and nutrients.
• Notable Species:
  • Rafflesia: The world’s largest flower, lives entirely inside its host except when blooming (47:34).
  • Mistletoe (“muérdago”): Common in Spain, especially visible at Christmas, relies on birds for spreading seeds. Toxic to humans, not to birds.

    “El muérdago... a veces es del tamaño de un balón... y crece sobre las ramas de los árboles a los que parasita.” (Eduardo Barba, 48:56)

  • Orobanche (jopo de la hiedra): Parasite often found in ivy.
  • Cuscuta: String-like parasite, can decimate host plants.

Practical Gardening Tips

• Should you remove them? (60:06): Removal can be hard; strong host plants usually cope.
• Parasitic plants in gardens: Rarely cultivated except for educational purposes in botanical gardens.
• Lichens: Not parasites.
• Listener Q&A: Tips for blooming bignonias (key advice: adjust nutrients and sun).

4. Royal Families, Memoirs & Celebrity Gossip

Segment: 62:17 — 79:40

Royal News

• Spanish Royal Family: Discussion of King Juan Carlos's awkward viral video and its political/PR implications.

  “En la Casa Real dicen que es inoportuno e innecesario el vídeo...” (Ángel Barceló, 66:18)

• Iñaki Urdangarín’s First Interview: Anticipation for his tell-all appearance and rumors of memoirs just as he returns to public life.
• British Royals: New revelations about Prince Edward’s cheap “peppercorn rent” mansion.
• Mario Vargas Llosa: His son Álvaro moves fast to claim the noble title after the writer’s passing.

Popular Culture & Memoirs

• Romina Power: Shares her enduring hope that her daughter Ylenia, missing since the 1990s, is still alive—blames her ex-husband for events at the time.
• Paul Anka: Confirms the legend of Frank Sinatra’s “impressive endowment,” blending nostalgia with tabloid fun.
• María Pombo: Influencer launching a real estate business with her architect husband.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “La película es sobre el fin de la comunidad. Allí se vive la comunidad de una forma muy distinta a la sociedad occidental.”
  (Guillermo Galoe, 08:54)

• “En parte no. [Los hombres] eran totalmente machistas.”
  (Ofelia Vila Hernández, 30:28)

• Description of mistletoe’s strategy:
  “Cuando un pájaro... come ese fruto, se les queda pegado al pico... hacen crack, crack contra otra rama, y ya dejan ahí sembrada la semilla del muérdago.” (Eduardo Barba, 49:02)

• Gossip Gold:
  “Paul Anka… confirma al New York Post que Sinatra tenía un pene inmenso. Hay que recordar… su ex Ava Gardner decía que pesaba 8 kilos.”
  (Martín Bianchi, 79:00)

Timetable of Key Segments

| Topic / Guest | Segment Start | Segment End | |------------------------------|-------------------|------------------| | Ciudad sin sueño | 04:33 | 23:58 | | Ofelia Vila Hernández | 24:36 | 39:44 | | Parasitic Plants | 44:22 | 62:17 | | Royal/Celebrity Segment | 62:17 | 79:40 | | Additional Highlights/Recap | 88:01 | 89:08 |

Tone & Style

The hosts and guests balance a conversational, sometimes light-hearted tone with depth; vulnerable, personal stories alternate with sociopolitical critique and amusement over the absurdities of celebrity/society.

For New Listeners

This episode is an ideal sample of Hoy por Hoy: sharp reporting, eloquent guests, and stories that find the poetic in reality—whether in a marginalized community, a feminist’s life, a garden, or the latest royal misstep. The segments are varied but interconnected by a curiosity about how people, communities, and traditions survive, change, and tell their stories.