Volcano of La Palma Inspires a Short Film by Six Young Artists with Intellectual Disabilities
The spark came when the La Palma volcanic eruption captured the attention and imagination of six young artists with intellectual disabilities: Carolina, Gonzalo, José, Javi, Joaquín and Miguel Ángel. They collaborated to create a short animated film that has already been selected for three film festivals. In Alicante, the competition groups their work with eleven other animated pieces, and it will be shown in cinemas. On May 22, audiences can catch it at Kinepolis, with an out of competition screening during the Sant Joan festival this Friday at 20:30 in Plaza Josep Carreras. The project was also welcomed by Erronka Munduan, an online call from another festival focused on social themes. The team and the project reflect a powerful story about resilience and community involvement.
Tragedy of the Volcano presents a compelling narrative born from the voices and drawings of the six artists under the guidance of the Daguten Neighborhood Graphic School, a program that has earned recognition with the 2019 Sois Cultura Award. The school was founded to blend culture and graphic arts with social inclusion. Through collaborations with groups facing disabilities or exclusion, the project helped reveal artists who might otherwise remain unseen, including Gonzalo, who contributed his own character designs and later started a distinctive brand inspired by dinosaur imagery. The film thus stands as a testament to creative potential found in unexpected places and communities.
The team’s current presentation is part of a broader program called Creative Encounters in the Service of Inclusivity, which organized six sessions at Las Cigarreras in 2021. This initiative aligns with the Sustainable Urban Development Strategy and the Edusi Alicante project for the Las Cigarreras district. Co-financing came from the European Regional Development Fund, highlighting regional investment in inclusive culture and urban renewal. The short’s realization demonstrates how creative collaboration can bridge social inclusion with artistic expression and community development.
In a span of just over two months, the creators produced a short animation of roughly three minutes. The storyline features a pirate with binoculars searching for treasures, sleepy bears, reckless Indians, vegetarian dinosaurs, three‑course dining aboard flying ships, time travel, and of course a volcano. As the project began to take form, screenwriter David Gil explains that this was an inaugural attempt at producing a finished work with a clear end in sight. The eruption of the La Palma volcano provided the spark, their shared experiences and emotions guiding the evolution of the plot. The team imagined a magical ship soaring around the erupting peak, a blend of humor and imagination born from personal stories. The result is a tribute to creativity that feels both fearless and playful, a reflection of the artists’ unique perspectives and collaborative energy arriving on screen. The idea that such a project could emerge from collective effort and joyful experimentation is central to the film’s charm, with every contributor bringing their own note to the melody of the story.
Initial steps saw the artists create self‑portraits and then build the narrative with their own designs and input. The team developed a storyboard and eventually assembled the soundtrack, sounds, and effects. They benefited from the help of musician Charles Solartist and entertainers Jose Ramon Bass and Juan Diego Cerda, whose contributions enriched the sonic world of the film. The collaborative process emphasized that every voice mattered and helped shape the final piece.
Selection at festivals often reveals the challenges these artists face in expressing complex emotions. Gil notes that some participants find it difficult to articulate feelings, yet many feel excited about seeing their work on the big screen. The choice to present the film in Alicante and Sant Joan was motivated not by competition alone but by proximity and family accessibility. The possibility of family members attending screenings adds a meaningful layer to the experience. When asked about winning, Gil emphasizes limits and celebration alike: the real achievement is the opportunity to share the story and strengthen community ties through the film. The project remains a proof point that inclusive arts initiatives can yield compelling, entertaining, and emotionally resonant work that resonates with broad audiences. The creators hope the screenings will broaden awareness of the talents present within groups traditionally underrepresented in cinema, and they continue to pursue opportunities that bring their art to diverse audiences across the region.