Tenerife’s guachinches are getting the documentary treatment, with a new film exploring the history, culture and ongoing debate surrounding these much-loved traditional eateries.
I’m Watching You: Guachinches de Tenerife will have its premiere this Saturday, 26 September, at the Teatro Cine Realejos, starting at 19:30.
Admission is free, although tickets need to be collected in advance through the Realejos Cultural website and entry is subject to available capacity.
More than somewhere to eat
Produced by the Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC) and directed by anthropologist Eduardo Diez Pombo, the one-hour documentary takes an anthropological and ethnographic look at Tenerife’s guachinches.
Traditionally, guachinches were associated with wine producers selling their own wine directly to customers, although over time they have become much more than that.
They are now social meeting places for residents and visitors, with food, wine and plenty of conversation usually thrown into the mix.
The film explores how that tradition has changed and asks some fairly awkward questions about what actually makes a guachinche a guachinche.
What does ‘authentic’ really mean?
One of the themes running through the documentary is the debate over the definition and authenticity of guachinches.
Different voices are brought together to examine how these establishments have evolved and what happens when a traditional local concept becomes increasingly popular with visitors.
It’s an interesting question because anyone who has spent time in Tenerife will know that there can be a fairly heated debate about what qualifies as a genuine guachinche.
Three years of research
The project began in 2023, with the team carrying out fieldwork that included mapping guachinches, interviewing people connected with them and developing the structure of the documentary.
The filming then gathered interviews and other audiovisual material connected with the phenomenon.
By the time the editing was finished, the team had around 60 hours of footage to reduce to the final one-hour film.
That’s quite a lot of footage to turn into an hour. Presumably there were some difficult decisions in the editing room.
Screening followed by a discussion
Following Saturday’s premiere, the audience will have the opportunity to take part in a discussion with director Eduardo Diez Pombo and some of the people featured in the documentary.
The discussion will explore the changing nature of guachinches and their importance within the local community.
Screening details
Film: I’m Watching You: Guachinches de Tenerife
Date: Saturday, 26 September 2026
Time: 19:30
Venue: Teatro Cine Realejos
Admission: Free
Tickets: Advance collection required through Realejos Cultural, subject to capacity
For anyone interested in Tenerife’s food culture, wine traditions or the slightly complicated question of what makes a proper guachinche, it should make for an interesting evening.