Podcast Summary: Un país en la pantalla: un viaje por España a través del cine y la televisión

Podcast: Más de uno
Host: Carlos Alsina (Onda Cero)
Guest: Raquel Piñeiro, periodista y autora
Date: December 29, 2025
Episode Focus: Unpacking Spain’s transformation as seen through its cinematic and televisual history, with insights from Raquel Piñeiro’s book “Un país en la pantalla. España a través del cine y las series”.

Main Theme

The episode explores how the film and television industry reflects and impacts Spain’s geography, society, economy, and tourism. Through memories, trivia, and deep analysis, Raquel Piñeiro and Carlos Alsina discuss emblematic movies shot in Spain, the impact of international productions, societal changes reflected in Spanish films, and the symbiotic relationship between cinema and tourism.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Legendary Film Shoots in Spain

• Moby Dick’s 70th Anniversary in Gran Canaria:
  Alsina recalls the homage to locals who participated in the film, including craftsmen who built the whale model, highlighting the community’s vivid memories and economic impact. ([00:08])
• Early International Appeal:
  Piñeiro underlines how Spain became an early destination for international productions due to its landscapes and tax incentives, with mention of “Pandora y el holandés errante” (Costa Brava), “El Capitán Jones” (Denia), and “Moby Dick”.
  • “Canarias realmente fue una de las primeras y me parece que es un caso bastante paradigmático...” (Piñeiro, [02:44])

2. Hollywood’s Exodus & Spain’s Paradox

• Orson Welles & Ava Gardner are cited as examples of artists fleeing Hollywood’s McCarthyism for Francoist Spain, despite the political contradictions.
  • “Si eres rico y tienes posibilidades, el franquismo hacía un poco la vista gorda...” (Piñeiro, [04:44]–[05:05])

3. Curiosities & Legends from Classic Productions

• The “Chinese Restaurants” Urban Legend:
  The rumor that all Chinese restaurants in Europe closed to provide extras for “55 días en Pekín”, adding color to Spain’s place in Hollywood mythos. ([05:16])
• Famous Extras:
  • Adolfo Suárez (future Spanish president) acted as an extra in “Orgullo y pasión”, and novelist Miguel Delibes suffered his scene’s cut.
  • “Un vecino de Ávila muy famoso, efectivamente, es el futuro presidente Adolfo Suárez.” (Alsina/Piñeiro, [05:50])

4. Influence of Producers like Samuel Bronston

• Bronston’s large-scale productions (“El Cid”, “La caída del Imperio Romano”) left enduring films, created local jobs, and helped seed a Spanish film industry.
  • “Le permitió a la gente soñar un poquito y creó un poquito de industria.” (Piñeiro, [07:55])

5. Cinema’s Economic Impact

• Roughly 30% of a film’s budget remains in the place of shooting, propelling local economies and sparking regional competition for productions. ([09:16])

6. Evolution of the Rural in Spanish Cinema

• The journey from rural dramas like “La aldea maldita” (1930) to modern films such as “Alcarrás” is discussed:
  • Early films depicted villages as hotbeds for tragedy and despair, then moved to patronizing urban perspectives, and now, increasingly, rural stories told by women from those communities.
  • “El cine rural ha estado presente...ha pasado de ser el depositario de las bajas pasiones...a historias donde el pueblo es un escenario más.” (Piñeiro, [09:53]–[11:43])

7. Cinema, Tourism, and Place-Making

• Certain films and series transformed anonymous locations into tourist destinations:
  • From “Alcarrás”’s peach fields (now a tourist route) to “Juego de Tronos” sites in Andalucía and the “Sad Hill” cemetery from “El bueno, el feo y el malo.”
  • “Genera además un tipo de turismo que no existía o que no tendría por qué existir.” (Piñeiro, [14:00]–[16:06])

8. Cinema’s Distorted Portrayals

• Films like “Misión Imposible 2” and “Noche y día” are called out for geographic and cultural mix-ups, amusing and frustrating Spaniards.
  • “Misión imposible 2 hacían esta cosa de mezclar las fallas con la Semana Santa...” (Piñeiro, [16:24])

9. Universal Stories from Local Realities

• The current trend of making “aséptico” locations for international appeal is discussed, but Piñeiro insists local stories and settings travel best worldwide (“lo local viaja súper bien”). ([17:21]–[18:41])

10. New Waves: Bollywood and K-Dramas in Spain

• Recent Indian and South Korean productions are leveraging Spanish locations to bolster tourism, often resulting from deals with Tour España.
  • “Para mí ha sido una sorpresa...que hay películas de Bollywood que vienen a rodarse en España gracias a acuerdos específicos con Tour España.” (Piñeiro, [18:48])

11. True Crime, Black Comedy, and Stigma

• The podcast delves into how crime stories, both old and new, can stigmatize locales, from “Puerto Urraco” to modern barrios—the tension between notoriety and negative impact.
  • “Claro, ¿Qué ocurre?...es una asociación negativa.” (Piñeiro, [20:08])

12. Personal Anecdotes and Filmic “Fetishism”

• Piñeiro’s love for tracking film locations, visiting or digitally exploring the houses and settings from Spanish classics.
  • “He ido a la caza de todas las películas, claro. Es un fetichismo que me encanta.” (Piñeiro, [22:13])

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On archival obsession:
  “Tu libro es un libro de lectura muy lenta, porque a cada paso te estás yendo a ver la peli...o a Google Maps.” (Alsina, [01:34])

• On Spanish extra paydays:
  “Les pagaban 25 pesetas por día, que en aquella época no lo ganaba ni en una semana trabajando.” (Piñeiro, [07:55])

• On rural cinema’s shift:
  “No todas las películas ambientadas en un pueblo tienen que ser Asbestas...o de choque cultural ciudad–pueblo.” (Piñeiro, [11:43])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:08 — Homage to "Moby Dick" extras in Gran Canaria
• 01:34 — Reading Piñeiro’s book and its immersive effect
• 02:44 — Spain’s first big international productions
• 03:54 — Orson Welles, Ava Gardner, and American exiles in Francoist Spain
• 05:16 — The “Chinese restaurant” myth and “55 días en Pekín”
• 05:59 — Surprise famous extras in Spanish film history
• 07:49 — Samuel Bronston’s influence on Spanish cinema
• 09:16 — On-location economic impact statistics
• 09:53 — Rural cinema’s transformation from “La aldea maldita” to “Alcarrás”
• 13:20 — Post-cinema tourism: “Alcarrás” and location-led routes
• 16:24 — Hollywood blunders: “Misión Imposible 2” and others
• 17:21 — Internationalization and “aséptico” location design
• 18:48 — Bollywood and Korean productions in Spain
• 20:08 — True crime, black comedy, and local stigma
• 22:13 — The joy of location hunting for Spanish film fans

Final Thoughts

This episode is a vibrant tour through Spanish film history, blending affection, wit, and facts to show how Spain’s landscapes, people, and towns have shaped and been shaped by the screen. Raquel Piñeiro’s encyclopedic enthusiasm and Alsina’s playful hosting make for a rich, binge-worthy conversation for cinephiles, travelers, and anyone curious about the crosscurrents between art, place, and history.