Abeledos House

Abeledos House is an ongoing documentary project in Spain that begins as a personal journey, rooted in my beloved grandmother’s house in Monforte de Lemos, the gateway to the historic Ribeira Sacra wine region. The wines grow on traditional stone Roman terraces that cling to the almost vertical hillsides of deep river canyons. This is "heroic viticulture" based on harsh manual labour. This flavoursome man-made landscape, along with the climate, the local language and the strong local culture, all help make Galicia distinctly different from the rest of Spain. The project expands into a broader exploration of the region’s uncertain future—where aging populations, disappearing traditions, and rural exodus are turning towns into ‘ghost’ towns.

As younger generations move away, the government leans on tourism as a tool for economic revival, but is this a sustainable solution or just a temporary fix? The potential UNESCO World Heritage nomination of Ribeira Sacra in 2026 highlights the critical role of water in shaping its cultural landscape, a legacy dating back to Roman times. Yet, as climate change disrupts ecosystems and threatens water sources, what does this mean for a region so deeply tied to its land and traditions? Can heritage conservation and climate action work together to ensure its survival?.

This is a raw, unfiltered journey into identity, resilience, and urgent climate action in a land where the past and future collide.