Francoism was not just a political dictatorship; it was a cultural dictatorship too. For more than forty years, Spain was immersed in a system promoting a homogeneous culture based on the values of National Catholicism. Many forms of artistic and literary expression deemed subversive by the regime were banned, and an official culture glorifying traditional, rural, religious Spain was promoted.
In this context, cinema and television became instruments of regime propaganda. Films extolling Christian morality and Spanish patriotism were those receiving funding and approval for production. The 'average Spaniard' consuming these works was shaped by a narrow vision of culture in which tradition and religion occupied center stage.
Yet, as often happens under authoritarian regimes, creativity found ways to resist. Many writers, filmmakers, and artists used metaphor and symbolism to evade censorship, and an auteur cinema emerged that, although limited in reach, managed to communicate messages of resistance and criticism. In literature, authors such as Camilo José Cela and Carmen Laforet challenged conventions and wrote works depicting the real Spain rather than the one the regime wanted to display.