THE BOY AND THE SUIT OF LIGHTS

Inma de Reyes Casas
Oct 7, 2021
2 min read

Updated: Apr 21

Winner Grand Jury Award International First Feature, Sheffield DocFest 2025.

Synopsis:

Filmed and carefully crafted and composed over the course of five years, the film follows Borja, a young boy growing up in Castellon, a small town in Spain, where the tradition of bullfighting weighs heavily on his shoulders. His grandad, Matias, pins his own unfulfilled dreams of becoming a professional bullfighter onto his grandchild with the hopes that it will get the family out of poverty. Like most underprivileged kids feeling trapped in a life with little choices and opportunities, Borja doesn’t see a future beyond orange fields, fishing and bullfighting.

“Absorbing documentary” (****)

“You can marvel at how director Inma de Reyes (Edinburgh College of Art) achieved such close and intimate access to Borja’s family over a long period of time. That’s her skill as a woman of Spanish heritage and a filmmaker. The effect of our eavesdropping on their lives is raw.” (****)

"The Boy and the Suit of Lights shines as bright as the midday sun on a long Spanish summer day." (****)

Winner: The International First Feature Competition honours the future of non-fiction film and celebrates promising new talent and is supported by Netflix.

The Jury said: “The jury has chosen the winning film for its visually stunning reflection on culture and society, told through the journey of a boy finding his way to manhood. It triggers an inner discussion, challenging our ideas about the modern world versus fading traditions and beliefs.”

To learn more about the context of the film check this article in BBC NEWS

Film produced by Aconite Productions and Rustic Canyon Pictures with the support of Chicken and Egg Pictures and Screen Scotland.