In the 25 years of this century, masterpieces of the small screen coexist, such as ‘Breaking the Bad’ either “The thread” with directors who have inherited the best tradition like Paul Thomas Anderson or new visions like that of Sean Baker. AND … all with platforms as the great disruptor.
At ABC Cultural, we interviewed 25 important figures in the audiovisual industry – filmmakers, creators, producers, directors… – about the cultural canon so far this century. These are the elections of Diego Avalosvice president of content at Netflix in Spain, Portugal and Turkey:
Construction site
Break the bad
The antihero, in the foreground
It is the work that has had the most impact so far this century. Not only did he revolutionize the way stories were told on television, but he redefined the notion of the protagonist by putting at the center an antihero who was as fascinating as he was disturbing. The transformation of Walter Whitefrom an ordinary man to an almost Shakespearean figure, invites the viewer to evolve in gray areas and to rethink their own moral judgments. Additionally, the series raised the bar for visual and narrative quality, demonstrating that the medium could be as sophisticated and ambitious as the best cinema. His mark is undeniable: he influenced the creation of complex characters and risky plots in many stories.
Director
Cuarón, Iñárritu and Del Toro
The three friends
If I think of those who have left their mark on the audiovisual field of this century, it is impossible not to mention the three friends: Cuarón, Iñárritu and Del Toro. Its impact transcends borders and genres. Each developed their own voice, but together they showed that Latin American talent can engage face-to-face with Hollywood and the global industry. What sets them apart is not just technical excellence or visual ambition, but also the ability to tell deeply human stories, with sensitivity and risk. They knew how to evolve between realism and fantasy, the intimate and the epic, the local and the universal. In addition, they have opened the doors to new generations of creators and highlighted themes, perspectives and sensitivities that enrich the international panorama. Its success has broadened the map of contemporary cinema and showed that cultural diversity is an inexhaustible source of relevant and powerful stories.
Director
Greta Gerwig
Renovator of current cinema
He represents one of the most innovative voices in cinema today. reached opening new doors to reflect a female perspectivebringing authenticity, humor, and depth to stories that previously rarely occupied the center of cultural conversation. With “Lady Bird”, he was able to capture the complexity of adolescence and the mother-daughter relationship, thus creating a film that is both intimate and universal. And with “Barbie,” she transformed a global icon into a bold reflection on identity, gender and the power of representation, making the film a cultural and box office phenomenon. Gerwig showed that women’s cinema can be ambitious, personal and commercial at the same time, and its success has inspired a new generation of creators to tell their own stories with freedom and courage. I’m dying to see what he does with the Narnia adaptation.
Movement
Streaming
Globalization of stories
The movement that has most transformed this quarter of a century is undoubtedly the globalization of stories. Thanks to ‘streaming’, the boundaries for telling them have become blurred and authorship has been democratized and decentralized beyond Hollywood. Today, it is quite common for a Korean series, a Spanish film or a German production to conquer audiences all over the world. This opening has enriched the cultural panorama, allowing for an unprecedented circulation of diverse ideas, styles and narratives. Audiences in 2025 enjoy a variety of offerings that would have been unthinkable just twenty years ago, and this transformation has forever changed the way we discover, understand and connect to stories, both in series and in film.
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