Drawing directly from director Javier Cano Larumbe’s own childhood experience of navigating his parents’ divorce at a young age, Vacío (Void), co-written with Blai Domenech, is a stunning 14-minute short that achieves more in exploring the fear, isolation and confusion children experience during family separation than many features do in a two-hour runtime.
Eight-year-old Félix once thought that the monsters that lurk in the shadows could never invade his home. His mum and his dad protected him, and the monsters were afraid to come out; their darkness kept at bay by a family full of love, laughter and togetherness. But now, as his family fragments, the monsters have found a way to penetrate the home, their darkness creeping through each room, staining the walls black as the lights flicker and horror takes control.
The happiness and love of the home videos that play on repeat are now just a distant memory as Félix attempts to warn his parents of the monster’s arrival. But his warnings fall on deaf ears, as his parents talk in heated tones, and his father packs a box of his belongings. The monster has them in its claws, and Félix feels defenceless and unheard as they are separated and the house is plunged into darkness.
Drawing directly from director Javier Cano Larumbe’s own childhood experience of navigating his parents’ divorce at a young age, Vacío (Void), co-written with Blai Domenech, is a stunning 14-minute short that achieves more in exploring the fear, isolation and confusion children experience during family separation than many features do in a two-hour runtime.
Starring María Valverde, Javier Beltrán, and Tomeu Artigas, Larumbe’s exploration of divorce and separation through a child’s eyes powerfully dovetails painful memories with imagination and nightmares as young Félix attempts to understand the events surrounding him, and to be heard by two parents now solely focused on their own needs and wishes rather than his. As the monsters in the darkness consume a world he once thought was safe, Cano Larumbe explores a truth about family breakdown that many parents would rather ignore than face: the children sitting in the middle of any breakup will be hurt, no matter how much you think you’re protecting them.
With Cinematography by Àlvar Riu, who plays with light and shadow in the best traditions of Gothic horror, Vacío (Void) is an immersive and unsettling cinematic experience where childhood imagination and fear meet social horror. Add the assured sound design of Roger Navarro and performances that are emotionally attuned to the memories Vacío (Void) excavates, and this 14-minute short film leaves an indelible mark.
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