A birthday wish becomes something far more dangerous when abuela's fairytale blurs into reality.
On the night of his eighth birthday, Pablito mourns the loss of his Amá. However, his spirits are lifted when his Abuela tells him a fairytale about La Bruja Del Mar, a mystical witch longing for a son.
Acting
Presciliana Esparolini's witch is terrifyingly maternal.
Cinematography
Ocean as liminal space between worlds, beautifully shot.
Production
I.C.E. presence recontextualizes every magical moment.
Director
Manuel Villarreal
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The film operates in the tradition of Mexican magic realism where supernatural events are treated as mundane — here weaponized to make state violence feel equally inevitable.
Director Manuel Villarreal expanded this from his USC thesis; the 13-minute runtime was non-negotiable for festival circuits, forcing every frame to carry narrative weight.
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