Res a fer (No Option)
Film title from Res a fer directed by Mel Estaba
Social-drama short film in pre-production.
A Story of Unrecognized Motherhood and Migrant Identity
Res a Fer (No Option) follows Gabriela and her aunt Yolanda, two Latin women who arrive at a roadside guesthouse searching for Vicenç, an elderly man who works there in exchange for lodging.
At first glance, nothing connects them — yet they share a silent bond: Gael, the child Gabriela raised with Vicenç’s late daughter. Without legal recognition as a mother, Gabriela must convince Vicenç to pretend they are a functional family — the only option institutions allow to keep custody of Gael.
“The guesthouse becomes a space of transit and confrontation, where the scorching heat and claustrophobic atmosphere magnify every conflict,” Estaba explains
Director Mel Estaba on the Film
“Res a Fer was born from the need to represent stories that rarely reach the screen: migrant, racialized, and lesbian women fighting for their emotional bonds in a hostile environment. As a migrant woman, I grew up feeling the absence of narratives that reflected identities like mine, and this project is a response to that void,” says Estaba.
Visually, the film will shift between rawness and melancholy, contrasting scorching exteriors with cold, suspended interiors. Inspired by directors like Aki Kaurismäki and Wong Kar-Wai, Estaba emphasizes a restrained narrative where gestures and silences carry as much weight as dialogue.
“This story is for anyone who has felt the fragility of their rights, or had to invent families outside traditional molds. It’s also for viewers ready to question what it truly means to belong to a family or a place,” she adds.
About Mel Estaba:
Mel Estaba (b. 1991, Venezuela) is an independent director and screenwriter based in Barcelona since 2006. She studied audiovisual filmmaking and later specialized in production coordination at ESCAC. With her feature film in development, Bravo Sanmartín, Estaba was selected for the recent Summer Campus of the Film Academy and for the 2024 Acció Viver program by Dones Visuals. Her short films have been selected in over 45 international festivals, and her work consistently focuses on identity, migration, and intimate family bonds.
What to Expect
Res a Fer promises to be a poetic, intimate, and socially conscious short film. With its themes of unrecognized motherhood, migrant identity, and the search for home, the film aims to resonate across cultures while highlighting marginalized voices rarely seen on screen.
Production will begin in spring 2026. Follow our updates as we bring Gabriela’s story to life, exploring what it truly means to fight for family, identity, and belonging.
“Res a fer” is a Horizontal Films Media S.L. production, funded by ICEC Institute Català de les Empreses Culturals.
