Vial Matadero

A visual and auditory exploration of the historical and architectural heritage that shapes Matadero, as well as its inhabitants, caretakers and ghosts. Take a journey through the layers of time and space in this hub of creativity, culture and urban life, which has now celebrated its 100th anniversary. In 2026, it remains a city with a river within a city without a river, hugging Madrid’s southern border.

As a centre of cultural activity and a public gathering space, Matadero is portrayed as a complex and vibrant urban environment. As a real hub of artistic creation, with an emphasis also on the human and material infrastructure that sustains its stages.

Go deep into Matadero — into its back rooms and its underbelly — seeing it from a bird’s-eye view and with one’s eyes closed as well. The film features Matadero’s users and workers, such as Beatriz the cleaner; students attending guided tours; former slaughterhouse workers like Pedro, who remain closely connected to the site and its social life; local residents from the Colonia del Pico del Pañuelo, such as Maricarmen, deeply rooted in the neighbourhood; and artists from the Debajo del Sombrero initiative, such as Andrés, who has carried out remarkable work mapping the site. All in all, we will move away from conventional reporting and instead take an expressionistic and wide-eyed look.