Witches, Goblins, And An Ogre Deal With Substance Abuse, Depression, And Domestic Violence In Alberto Vázquez’s ‘Homeless Home’

“No one can escape their roots, however rotten they may be.”

So reads the logline of Alberto Vázquez’s Homeless Home, an Annecy jury award-winner which was recently made free to stream online.

Produced by France’s Autour de Minuit and Spain’s Uniko, co-producers on Vázquez’s recent feature Unicorn Wars, the short features themes that will ring familiar to fans of the Spanish auteur. Visually, however, its mostly black-and-white palette stands in stark contrast to the filmmaker’s feature work, which is usually bright and loaded with pastels.

Set in Galicia in the northwest of Spain, the brooding short melds a heady mix of fantasy with the real-world milieu familiar to anyone who hails from an isolated rural area. Featuring a cast of fantastic creatures, Homeless Home turns on a recently returned soldier who is forced to adapt to life after service in an unwelcoming environment.

Violence, substance abuse, depression, and regret are just a few of the topics touched on in the film’s 14-minute runtime. It’s a must-watch for anyone who grew up in a small town or has returned home after an extended time away.