Aquella Casa - short film

In 2024, the project won the El Modern Grant from the Girona City Council, and Nil is currently receiving mentorship from filmmakers and editors Ariadna Ribas and Artur Tort. The project is also supported by the Girona Provincial Council for the creation of new audiences.

This project not only seeks to recover images but to revive emotions and experiences that are part of our collective identity. In this sense, its main strengths are:

• An original format based on the re-editing of real Super8 footage, which gives the short film its own aesthetic and transports the viewer to another space-time.
• A universal story born from a local narrative, as the film connects with anyone who has experienced the loss of a meaningful place.
• The reinterpretation of past images through the sensitivity of a young team offers a new contemporary and intergenerational perspective.
• Intergenerational collaboration in the recovery and preservation of historical memory.
• The heritage and cultural value of the project, since Aquella Casa not only tells a story but also contributes to preserving collective memory and the architectural heritage of cities.

Our objectives are:

• To recover the historical memory of summers, life, childhood, lost spaces, and slow time.
• To reach young adults who feel an emotional connection to the loss of childhood places and the transformation of the urban landscape.
• To explore collective memory, local history, family environments, urban sociology, and identity.

The project Aquella Casa is born from the need to preserve the visual memory of a fading past, the historical value of old images, and the ability to transform them into a cinematic narrative that connects with the present.

It seeks to go beyond nostalgia, exploring how the disappearance of a physical place impacts the construction of our collective identity. The local story thus becomes a reflection of a universal phenomenon: the loss of childhood spaces, the evolution of urban life, and the need to preserve memory through audiovisual media.

Moreover, Aquella Casa is being developed during a time of growing interest in archival cinema and the reinterpretation of the past through a contemporary lens. The combination of documentary and fiction not only recovers these images, but also gives them new life, creating a more immersive experience for the viewer.

In terms of feasibility, the fact that the project does not require a major shooting phase allows for an agile and adaptable production, optimizing resources and maximizing its cultural and cinematic impact.

Aquella Casa is an invitation to reflect on how we remember, transform, and give meaning to the spaces we have inhabited. It speaks to a broad audience from an emotional and cinematic perspective:

• People who have experienced the loss of meaningful spaces, whether a family home, a neighborhood, or a childhood landmark
• Consumers of archival and experimental cinema, who value the dialogue between past imagery and contemporary storytelling
• Young filmmakers and film professionals interested in new audiovisual languages and in blending documentary and fiction
• People interested in historical memory and urban transformation
• National and international festivals focused on experimental and documentary cinema, as well as local screenings and exhibitions in towns and villages

Nil Vives, Director
Born and raised in Girona, Nil Vives holds a degree in Audiovisual Communication from Pompeu Fabra University. He is a writer, director, screenwriter, filmmaker, and editor. He wrote and directed the short film "Cada vez me cuesta más regresar de ahí…" (2024), selected at the U22 Festival 2024. He worked as director of photography and editor on "Lo que dejan las luces" (2022), and as gaffer and editor on "S’haurà de fer de nit" (2022), selected at the Mecal Festival. He also served as assistant editor on the documentary "The Last Dolphin King" (2022), produced by Polar Star Films and Netflix, and is co-writer of the fiction feature "Juan", currently in development. Most recently, he was selected for the documentary film course The Nordit Quest by Youth Europa, and joined the editing and post-production team at Polar Star Films as an intern.

Filmography:

• Cada vez me cuesta más regresar de ahí… (2024). Writer and director. 7’. Selected at U22 Festival 2024.
• Lo que dejan las luces (2022). DOP and editor. 25’. Watch here
• The Last Dolphin King (2022). Netflix. Assistant editor. 93’.
• S’haurà de fer de nit (2022). Gaffer and editor. 9’. Selected at Mecal Festival.
• Mediamarkt Girona (2022). Promotional videos. Editor (Polar Star Films).
• Juan. Co-writer. Fiction feature in development.

Horizontal Films Media, Production Company
Based in Girona and founded in 2023, Horizontal Films Media was born from a passion for transformative storytelling. It produces creative documentary films and bold fiction. The company was founded and is led by Rose Kowalski, a producer with extensive international experience. A graduate in Fine Arts from Central Saint Martins in London, her career spans all phases of production and post-production in documentary, fiction, advertising, and digital content.

Selected Horizontal Films Projects:

• The Unfixing (2024). 85’. USA-Spain. Audience Award for Best Feature at Vermont FFF. Directed by Nicole Betancourt (Emmy Award for "Before You Go").
• Bancoco (2023). Documentary. USA-Panama. Best Writer Quetzalcoatl Indigenous IFF; Best Director Geneve Awards; Best Documentary London Independent Film Awards. Directed by Brad M. King.
• Secrets de Mare. Animated short film in development, directed by Glàfira Smith (Diari Ara comic prize-winner).

Selected Filmography – Rose Kowalski:

• Executive Producer: The Unfixing (2024); Influenced (2023); Bancoco (2023); La senda del azar (2021); Autoteràpia (2019–2020, TV3).
• Director: El club (2009, TV3); El cor de l’escala (2005, TV3); L’últim castell (2005, TV3); Fragile Ground (2009).
• Post-Production Director: The Click Trap (2024, TVE/Arte); Balomania (2024); Dúo (2024); The Last Dolphin King (2022, Netflix); McCurry: The Pursuit of Color (2021); El secret del doctor Grinberg (2020); Em dic Violeta (2019); Lladres de temps (2018); Freightened (2016); La llista Falciani (2015); Google i el cervell mundial (2013).

Marina G. Andreu, Producer
Originally from Sabadell, Marina graduated in Documentary Directing from ESCAC, where she earned a scholarship and received the UB Award for Best Student in her class. This recognition enabled her to pursue a master’s degree in Production and Post-Production Directing. Balancing direction and production, she premiered her first documentary in 2023, Lobos, which won the BBK Mendi Film Preproduction Grant, the Netflix Postproduction Grant at DocsBarcelona, and received awards at numerous festivals. As a producer, she has accumulated experience in advertising, film, and series. She was one of the executive producers of the short film Antes del Temblor, shot in Colombia in collaboration with the Kamentsá tribe. She is currently distributing the documentary Soul of Jasmine, shot in China, with more than 20 selections at international festivals. She is the producer behind the collective Vidas Pasadas Films, which explores new forms of visual and sound expression. She was selected as an emerging producer by the Acció Producció program of Dones Visuals, which allowed her to expand her knowledge and collaborate as an executive production assistant with companies such as Horizontal Films, Ayhe Productions, and Diana Toucedo Films.