To make the unforgiving journey from a place you once called home in pursuit of sanctuary – drifting thousands of miles across territories to face hostility on the other side – is a harrowing reality for millions of refugees worldwide. A defining issue of the current day, migration continues to shape conversation, driving debate on how best to approach the complexities of this on going reality. In response to the division sewn, directors Lorena Ares and Carlos Fernandez de Vigo present short animated film Cafunè, an exploration of the enduring trauma experienced by refugee children. It follows Alma, a young girl haunted by the devastating impact of a shipwreck where she was the sole survivor. The traumatic cycle repeats as her doll falls into a swimming pool – a dark reminder of the pain endured. A recipient of the Goya Award – the highest honour within Spanish cinema, as well as recently becoming Oscars 2026 qualified, Lorena and Carlos tell us more about exploring the film’s timely topic further, what they’ve learned from creating the film and what audiences can expect.
Hi Carlos and Lorena, your short film Cafune has recently become Oscar 2026 qualified. How are you feeling?Carlos/Lorena: We feel fantastic. The qualification comes because we won Spain’s Goya Award, which is given by the members of our own Academy. So the people who voted for us are our peers, fellow filmmakers, animators, producers… basically the whole Spanish industry saying, this is the best animated short of the year. That alone already feels like a major prize.
Spain’s independent animation is stronger than ever, so being recognized at home means a lot. Now, entering the awards-season journey is equally exciting. It allows more people to discover the film, connect emotionally with it, and also learn what we do as a studio.
Cafune explores the enduring trauma experienced by refugee children, it follows Alma, a young girl haunted by the devastating impact of a shipwreck where she was the sole survivor. The traumatic cycle repeats as her doll falls into a swimming pool – a dark reminder of the pain endured. What inspired you both to explore this narrative further?
C/L: The spark came from a short comic by Chechu Ramírez, who’s also our storyboard artist. His version ended tragically: the doll sinks and everything ends in darkness. We wanted to keep the emotional truth but offer a little light, a sense of hope that helps audiences process something painful. The film’s title, Cafunè, comes from a Portuguese word that describes the gentle act of running your fingers through a loved one’s hair: a small gesture that brings calm and safety. We loved that idea, because the story itself is about how a tiny act of care can awaken waves of healing around it.
We wanted viewers to leave not in despair but moved by quiet compassion, maybe even inspired to show kindness in their own lives.
At the same time, we were deeply inspired by the idea of a non-linear narrative, moving constantly between flashbacks and real time. It felt like a truthful way to portray how the human mind works when trauma resurfaces: Memories appear suddenly, fade, and then return again. Structurally, that rhythm of remembering and letting go became the emotional heartbeat of Cafunè.
The film has been celebrated internationally, having been selected for over 170 film festivals. In the process, having won various awards including the Goya Award which is the highest honour in Spanish cinema and a special recognition from Amnesty International. How does it feel to have been acknowledged for your work in this way?
C/L: It’s been incredible. Cafunè talks about migration through one child’s eyes, but the subject belongs to everyone. We’ve met people from so many places who told us they recognized themselves in Alma’s story. Maybe their journeys were less dramatic, but the feeling of displacement remains. Rather than portraying the journey itself, we wanted to explore the quiet aftermath, the long emotional echo that migration leaves behind. When audiences thank us for showing that part, it feels like the film is doing something useful.
From the very beginning, Amnesty International supported the project, and that gave us a deep sense of purpose. Their endorsement made us feel that the story we were telling mattered beyond cinema, that it carried a message worth amplifying. It also gave us confidence, knowing that an organization so committed to human rights believed in our approach helped us tell the story with conviction and reminded us that empathy can, indeed, be rebuilt.
Cafune is directed by yourselves, written by yourself Carlos and Chechu Ramírez, composed by Mikel Salas, with cinematography by Marcos García Cabeza, visual effects by Marcos García Cabeza and Daniel Ortiz and stars María Castro, Bruna Valls and Daniel Albiac amongst a larger team of talented creatives. How have you all worked together to realise the film?
C/L: We wrote the screenplay together, based on Chechu’s original idea. Music was byMikel Salas, and the visual world came alive thanks to many brilliant artists. The film was produced mainly at our animation studio, Dr. Platypus & Ms. Wombat, where the project was born. It started very small, just a few in the studio developing the concept art, and as the story grew stronger, more and more wonderful artists joined. We were lucky to attract true legends of animation like Grangel Studio, who designed the main characters. Their credits include The Prince of Egypt, Corpse Bride, and Hotel Transylvania, and their work gave Alma and Luna their distinctive silhouettes and emotional depth.
The title design was created by Carles Burgès, whose artistry has appeared inGladiator and Corpse Bride. Our production-design advisor was Almu Redondo, an Emmy winner for Star Wars: Visions – “Screecher’s Reach”, who helped us shape the visual language and refine color and lighting so that emotion and tone always worked together.
Seeing these masters of animation so engaged motivated everyone to reach higher; it became a genuine mentorship process that inspired the younger artists on the team. In the end, that dialogue between experience and new energy gave Cafunè its heart, you can feel both craft and discovery in every frame.
The production was coordinated almost entirely from our own studio, which made directing very organic, but we also had tremendous support from our co-producersWhite Leaf Producciones and Damián Perea Producciones, who were instrumental in keeping the whole process running smoothly. For us, Cafunè is the perfect example of how animation is built: through collaboration, generosity, and a shared belief in the story we wanted to tell.
What have you learned/taken away from creating the film?
Lorena: Maybe not learned but confirmed, that stories can genuinely heal. When someone writes to say the film helped them talk to their child about fear, or remember their own past with tenderness, that’s cinema at its best.
Carlos: I also learned that the responsibility doesn’t end when you finish the film. Once it’s out, it lives its own life and keeps touching people in ways you never imagined.
What can viewers expect from the film?
Carlos: Viewers can expect an intimate, emotional experience. In just eight minutes, the film blends tenderness and tension, showing how a single moment can awaken hidden memories. It’s visually soft but emotionally strong.
Lorena: We’re all so used to seeing these stories in the news that we stop feeling them. The film tries to break that numbness and remind us there are real people behind every headline.
What would you like viewers to take away from the film?
Lorena: Empathy. Simply that. To look at those who migrate not as statistics but as people who would love to stay home if home were safe.
Carlos: Exactly. Nobody chooses to risk everything unless they have no choice. If the film helps audiences feel that truth for even a moment, then Cafunè has done what we hoped.
Interview by Lucy Basaba.
To find out more about Cafune, visit here…
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