By Sandy Miller
Portland-based BCG Universe produces films and books which spotlight groups facing challenges—including immigrants, mentally and intellectually challenged individuals and the LGBTQ+ community—and which benefit members of those groups. This unique business model links the craft of cinema with real‑world social impact, pairing every film with a community initiative that supports vulnerable populations, generating empathy and action.
BCG Universe co-founder and principal creator Marcel Barragán, who also practices as a Gestalt therapist, is a native Venezuelan who has spent years in several other Latin American countries and now lives in Portland. He explains, “…when I work as a filmmaker, I don’t work. It is impossible for me to feel that I am working when I am immersed in such a great, ineffable and infinite passion. It’s something I haven’t felt doing anything else. For me, cinema is more than cinema, it is meaning, and that also includes many people.” Each BCG project engages this creative spirit, always working with themes that draw readers and viewers to see their connections with those who may seem “other.”
A current example of their work is a new film, Redemption: Relapse, directed by and starring Barragán and set for release this October, in Spanish and English with subtitles. Focusing on mental health, this sequel of a well-received earlier film from 2015 (Redención, produced in Spanish only) was filmed largely in Portland and follows the main character, played by Barragán, as he encounters and relives family tragedies.
Dr. Isabel Jaén, who teaches at Portland State University and holds a Ph.D. degree from Purdue University, has a deep interest in film. She serves as co-director of Cine-Lit, the International Conference on Film and Literature, organized in conjunction with the Portland International Film Festival.
“BCG Universe’s projects and the work of Marcel Barragán remind us of cinema’s power to foster empathy and strengthen our communities,” she stresses. The two met through the Portland Latin American Film Festival when his short film Life REBORN was screened in the 2025 annual event. Released in 2023, Life REBORN has won dozens of US and international awards for directing, acting and original musical score, among other categories.
Barragán and Jaén found common ground discussing his work through the non-profit Mundo Ayuda Foundation and BCG Universe, using art to help raise awareness of the problems that our communities face, and her own research on film and prosocial behavior: that is, how film allows us to understand and feel for and with others, prompting us to engage in actions intended to benefit them.
Jaén also plays a literal role in film, that of a psychiatrist in Redemption: Relapse. She has been acting since the 1980s, mostly on the stage, and has also directed children’s theater, in Spain, and college theater in the US, at Yale University. “Being involved in multiple aspects of film and performing,” she says, “provides a wider, yet also more focused, perspective when it comes to acting and the storytelling process, as does any knowledge and expertise in fields such as psychology and culture. [Barragán] is a great example of this idea: he’s a multifaceted filmmaker whose projects benefit not only from his expertise and experience in the different aspects of cinema, but also in human psychology, via his training and practice in therapy and counselling.”
Another BCG film in its early stages is Runway, which portrays the transformative relationship between a gay fashion designer and a homophobic neighbor who has a change of heart. Like several other creative endeavors, this project is seeking support from people who would like to help increase the visibility of local marginalized groups and spread a positive message to a general audience.
BCG has also produced a series of five short, uplifting paperback books adapted from the screenplays of several of their films and film ideas. According to Barragán, “My books, available in both English and Spanish, are born from the same place as my films: that point where pain, beauty and the need to understand the human soul meet.” One example, based on the screenplay of Life REBORN, is the story of a critically ill girl and her father, who share an enlightening and healing experience. BCG plans to coordinate with local groups to make these books available at no charge to benefit people experiencing homelessness.
Through film and the written word, BCG Universe invites its audience to enter the lives of others and to see the world through different eyes. Local business owners and longtime SE residents Jan and Jill Caplener support BCG’s unique blend of creativity and caring and have joined the group’s Board. “In getting to know Marcel, it became apparent to us that he had a passion for both film making and helping people less fortunate,” Jill says. “Because of that passion, we got involved (in a small capacity) to help him fulfill his dream.”
For updates on the new film and more information about all of their projects, visit bcguniverse.org.