SIMONE MERCADO: ART AS A SPACE FOR MEMORY, IDENTITY AND TRANSFORMATION

There are artists who do more than tell stories — they inhabit them. Simone Mercado is one of them.

Actress, playwright, director and educator, Simone has built a career that moves between cinema, theatre and contemporary creation, exploring themes such as identity, memory, transformation and belonging. Her work is defined by a deeply human perspective, where the personal and the collective are constantly in dialogue, inviting us to reflect on who we are and how we relate to the world around us.

Throughout her career, she has been part of internationally acclaimed projects, including Las Plantas, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), and Miss Carbón, a film that has moved audiences across different countries through its powerful portrayal of diverse human experiences.

In this conversation with ELLA Global Community, Simone shares her thoughts on art, identity, community building and the power of storytelling to create empathy, reflection and transformation.Hay artistas que no solo interpretan historias, sino que las habitan. Simone Mercado es una de ellas.

Simone, your work moves across film, theatre and contemporary creation. How would you define your artistic universe today?

My artistic universe exists at the intersection of memory, identity and transformation. I am particularly interested in stories that explore how people navigate pain, love, loss and processes of change. Both in film and theatre, I work from a deeply human perspective, where the personal and the collective are constantly in dialogue.

I am drawn to characters searching for their place in the world and to stories that force us to look at what we often prefer to hide: grief, mental health, difference, family relationships and the social wounds we inherit.

I tend to combine the poetic with the political because I believe art can move us emotionally while also helping us better understand the reality we share.

Identity, memory and social issues are recurring themes in your work. Where does this need to explore these subjects come from?

I believe it comes from my own life experience. I have always been interested in observing how we construct who we are and how our personal stories are shaped by the social, family and cultural contexts in which we live.

Memory plays a very important role in my work because I believe we are the result of what we remember, but also of what we forget. Identity, meanwhile, is a constantly evolving territory. I am interested in exploring these questions through art because they are universal questions.

In addition, my experience as a migrant between Chile and Spain has led me to reflect constantly on belonging, memory and the construction of identity. Living between territories also means living between narratives, and that experience has deeply influenced the way I create.

As a trans woman and creator, how has your personal experience influenced the way you tell stories?

Being a trans woman has allowed me to develop a particular sensitivity towards experiences that exist on the margins, towards people who have had to reinvent themselves in order to find their place in the world.

I do not feel that my identity defines all of my work, but it certainly influences the way I see the world. I am interested in questioning rigid categories, creating space for complexity and celebrating the diversity of human experiences.

My personal journey has taught me that identity is not an answer but an ongoing search, and that idea appears in one way or another throughout much of my work.

You have worked in film, theatre and education. What does each of these spaces bring to you?

Each one nourishes me in a different way.

Film has taught me precision, listening and the power of small gestures. Theatre offers me a direct encounter with audiences and the possibility of creating collective experiences in real time. Teaching connects me with something deeply transformative: supporting creative processes and discovering new voices.

I do not see these spaces as separate compartments. They all interact and enrich my artistic practice.

Films such as Las Plantas and Miss Carbón have received significant international recognition. How do you experience that recognition?

With immense gratitude.

Projects such as Las Plantas and Miss Carbón have shown me that the most intimate stories can resonate with people from very different cultures, realities and backgrounds. Being able to share my work at festivals, events and in different countries has been an extraordinary privilege.

Of course, awards and recognition are important because they help the work continue travelling. But what has moved me most throughout this international journey has been the connection with people.

Hearing how a story resonates with someone on the other side of the world still feels profoundly moving to me.

I have had the opportunity to speak with audiences from many different places and discover that, despite our differences, we share many of the same questions, emotions and hopes. Those encounters remind me why I do this work and reinforce my belief that art has a remarkable ability to create connection and empathy.

You also run your own creative space, LABORATORIO ESCÉNICO STUDIO. What role does community building play in art for you?

It plays a fundamental role.

LABORATORIO ESCÉNICO was born from the desire to create a space where people could explore, make mistakes, discover themselves and grow through art. Over time, I have come to understand that building community is just as important as artistic creation itself.

My students have been some of the greatest mirrors in my life. Through their processes, questions, fears and discoveries, I have learned a great deal about myself and about the human condition.

That is why I believe deeply in the responsibility that comes with teaching. Teaching is not only about sharing technical tools; it is also about accompanying human processes.

Although we work with acting, film and theatre, I feel that at LABORATORIO ESCÉNICO we learn something even more important: we learn about life.

For me, both theatre and cinema are mirrors of humanity. They allow us to observe ourselves, question ourselves and better understand who we are and how we relate to others.

In an increasingly individualistic world, I am interested in creating spaces where people can meet, listen to one another and build collectively. I believe that is where one of art’s greatest transformative powers lies.

At ELLA Festival you will present a film and participate in an ELLA Talk. What are you hoping to create in that encounter with the audience?

I am interested in creating dialogue.

I believe art takes on a new dimension when it is shared and when there is an opportunity to discuss what a work awakens in those who experience it.

I would love it to be an honest space for exchange where we can reflect on identity, representation, artistic creation and also on the stories that still need to be told.

I am also interested in listening.

Very often, encounters with audiences are just as enriching for those of us on stage as they are for those attending. These are spaces where unexpected questions emerge and where the work continues to live beyond the screen.

How important are spaces like ELLA for giving visibility to diverse stories within the community?

They are absolutely essential.

Spaces of representation do more than make certain stories visible; they also create role models, community and a sense of belonging. For a long time, many of us grew up without seeing ourselves reflected in dominant cultural narratives.

Festivals like ELLA help expand those narratives and demonstrate that diversity is not the exception, but an essential part of our reality.

They also allow artists, creators and audiences to meet, share experiences and strengthen networks that continue to have an impact long after the festival ends.

Your work combines the poetic and the political. Do you believe art has a social responsibility?

Yes, although I do not believe art should provide answers.

I believe its responsibility lies in opening questions, encouraging reflection and expanding our capacity for empathy. Every artistic creation engages with the context in which it emerges, even when it does not intend to.

I am interested in art that is not indifferent to its time — art that can move us, challenge us and accompany processes of personal and collective transformation.

Stories have the power to make us see what we often overlook, and that is one of art’s greatest strengths.

What would you like audiences to take away after experiencing your work?

I would like them to leave with an authentic emotional experience.

If, after a play, a film or a conversation, someone leaves with a new question, an emotion that is difficult to name, or a different perspective on themselves or others, then I feel that something meaningful has happened.

I believe art has the ability to remind us of our shared humanity.

We live in times when it is easy to forget that behind every story there is a person, an experience and a complex life. If my work contributes, even for a moment, to creating more empathy, more reflection or more connection between people, then I feel it has fulfilled its purpose.

This summer, we will have the privilege of welcoming Simone Mercado to ELLA Festival Mallorca 2026, where she will take part in an ELLA Talk and share an open conversation with our community about art, identity, representation and contemporary creation.

We will also enjoy a special screening of Miss Carbón, one of the most significant films of her recent career, followed by a discussion with the audience exploring the themes that run through the film and learning more about her personal and professional journey.

A unique opportunity to discover the creative universe of an artist who understands art as a space for connection, reflection and transformation, while continuing to amplify the diverse narratives that make ELLA a place of visibility, inspiration and community.