31/05/2024 - Inma De Reyes' documentary follows a boy living in a small Spanish town over the course of five years as he deals with pressures from his family to become a professional bullfighter

World-premiering imminently at Sheffield Doc/Fest (12-17 June) as part of the International First Feature Competition (see the news), Inma De Reyes' debut feature-length documentary, The Boy and the Suit of Lights [+see also:
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Filmed and carefully crafted and composed over the course of five years, the film follows Borja, a young boy growing up in Castellón, where the tradition of bullfighting weighs heavily on his shoulders. His granddad, Matias, pins his own unfulfilled dreams of becoming a professional bullfighter onto his grandchild in the hope that it will get the family out of poverty. Like most underprivileged kids feeling trapped in a life with few choices and opportunities, Borja doesn’t see a future beyond orange fields, fishing and bullfighting.

Director De Reyes said, "I could see in Borja’s expressive eyes that he felt a sense of pressure from his family that did not match well with his personality. I have seen him grow into a young adult in front of the camera. I have felt every moment as he has, knowing that his purpose was given to him from birth, and yet his heart was struggling to make sense of the world, with the love he holds for his mother and younger brother Erik. In my film, I wanted to reflect the reality as Borja felt it, capturing the gentle passing of time in a timeless coming-of-age story.”

The Boy and the Suit of Lights is being produced by Scottish outfit Aconite Pictures Ltd. The financing partners involved are Screen Scotland, Chicken and Egg, Rustic Canyon and Women Make Movies. It is being sold worldwide by Syndicado Film Sales.

Check out our exclusive trailer below: