Film is a powerful tool for individual and collective expression. Behind the scenes, it can become a point of contact, a place in which to learn and a space for personal transformation. This is the conviction on which the Dentro Cine project is based. It uses audiovisual language as a pathway for cultural and social inclusion, bringing the seventh art to groups of people who traditionally have had only limited access to cultural creation processes.
Through workshops and participatory events, under a methodology developed by film director Pedro Sara together with psychotherapist and filmmaker Violeta Pagán, the project invites participants to explore film not only as spectators, but also as creators of their own stories, capable of expressing their experiences, insights and emotions through image and sound.
A project that puts people at its core
The project places emphasis on the creative process: on learning to observe, speak and listen. Film thus becomes a tool for empowerment, a secure space in which to experiment, share and build a collective identity. More than the final output, Dentro Cine focuses on the journey, on the lessons learnt and on the links that are forged throughout the process.
This way, access to film studies moves beyond fee-paying schools to become freely available to young people with fewer opportunities. Their learning starts from day one, with professional tools, sharing personal experiences, and using those experiences to envisage sequences that are then filmed by the students themselves.
“One of the most valuable takeaways for me is what I learned from my friend Luna and from seeing the courage with which she told her story. Creating a fictional piece, building on topics close to her heart, she was able to turn complex life situations into a film that would later represent us all.” Natalí Morales, Dentro Cine student
The teenagers and youths come to the Dentro Cine school from all 21 districts of Madrid through ASPA centres (centres that provide socio-educational and pre-employment support for adolescents), which belong to the Madrid city council’s department for families and infants (Dirección General de Familia e Infancia del Ayuntamiento de Madrid). These centres are open to any young person in need of support. The psychoeducational teams at the ASPA centres offer the project to those most in need. Young people from the Fundación Balia foundation also take part. Those at Dentro Cine coordinate closely with the psychoeducational teams of the various entities throughout the process.
The impact of film as a tool for inclusion
Dentro Cine uses audiovisual practices to foster creative, communicative and social skills. Participants learn how to work as a team, develop critical thinking, and discover new ways of expressing themselves. The project shows that film can be an accessible and transformative language when it is put at the service of people and their personal reality.
The Dentro Cine project takes place at Cineteca Madrid, located in the Matadero Madrid cultural centre. Both spaces are well known for being open to experimentation, critical thinking and public participation.
‘Girls in movies’. Chicas con-movidas que hacen movies
The 2024/25 academic year saw the launch of the new programme ‘Girls in movies’. Chicas con-movidas que hacen movies, a cross-cutting programme aimed at women, filmmaking and mental health, made possible thanks to our support together with Netflix.
The programme aims to give visibility and a voice to women filmmakers and their work, as most of those involved in creative processes and healing activities are in fact women. They share common oppressions as women and so it was important to offer them this specific space in which to reflect on the content, discourse, representation and interactions that they experience both in their personal lives and in filmmaking.
“For me, ‘Girls in movies’ represented freedom. Freedom as a woman, the freedom to express myself in my own way through songs, sequences, speech…” Sol Quintana, Dentro Cine student
With more than 200 students attending the school throughout these 6 editions, there are many success stories, but it is worth highlighting a few of these. For instance, the case of Mariamu Toure, who completed the Master Film Maker course, with distinction, at ECAM (Madrid’s cinematography and audiovisual arts school), having received the NETFLIX-ECAM scholarship financed by Netflix through the Fund for inclusive creativity for students in vulnerable situations. She recently also received a screenwriting grant for fictional feature films, published by ICAA (Spain’s film and audiovisual arts institute), competing against prominent professionals with consolidated careers.
It is also worth mentioning the collective film Maldito Niño (directed by Violeta Pagán, 2025), which received the Ópera Prima Best Documentary Short Film Award during the 57th edition of the Alcances international documentary film festival. The award consisted of a bursary to complete the International Masters in Documentary Film offered by the Instituto del Cine de Madrid film institute, which in this case was given to Mikaela Cilindro, as the selected participant and co-creator of the film.
During the 2024 academic year, Mikaela Cilindro was also able to study screenwriting with the Coofilm collaborative residency grant for women filmmakers.
The Banco Sabadell Foundation’s commitment to culture and inclusion
The support provided by the Banco Sabadell Foundation to Dentro Cine is framed within our commitment to promoting cultural projects that have a positive social impact and use the arts as a tool for transformation. We believe in culture as a driver of development and cohesion, and we support initiatives that help to foster talent with equal opportunities.
By backing Dentro Cine, we uphold a vision of an open and inclusive culture that is committed to society, capable of offering new opportunities for learning and expression through film.
