Last weekend, the village of Cilleruelo de Abajo, in the province of Burgos, held a very special event dedicated to accessible cinema. The initiative was organized by the Collalba Cultural Association, in collaboration with ARANSBUR (Association of Families of Deaf People in Burgos), the MQD (Mira lo Que te Digo) special employment center for deaf and blind individuals specializing in communication accessibility, and the ESIRA project.

The event began at 7:00 PM on Friday, October 3rd, with a roundtable discussion featuring representatives from the partnering organizations, families, and deaf individuals, alongside the provincial director of ONCE (Spanish National Organization for the Blind). During the discussion, participants shared personal stories and experiences related to the barriers deaf people face in daily life—particularly in accessing cultural and leisure activities such as cinema.

Thanks to the presence of a sign language interpreter and real-time subtitles provided by the MQD team, all content from the roundtable was fully accessible, promoting inclusive and equitable communication for everyone in attendance.

Following the discussion, the film “Learning to Drive” was screened, equipped with subtitles, sign language interpretation, audio induction loop, and audio description. This made the film fully accessible for a diverse audience, including people who are deaf or blind. The screening marked a significant milestone in bringing accessible cinema to rural areas, setting an example for other villages and local organizations to adopt cultural initiatives focused on social inclusion.

The event concluded with an open discussion about the film and the overall experience. The conversation proved to be highly enriching and was followed by a casual reception that created opportunities for connection and dialogue among attendees.

This initiative, part of the project “Cineruelo, cultura de cine”, promoted by the Collalba Cultural Association, was very positively received by both the organizers and participants.

They highlighted how rewarding the experience was and its importance as a key step toward advancing cultural accessibility in rural settings. The event is also seen as a starting point for future accessible cinema initiatives in Cilleruelo de Abajo and neighboring villages.