Year: 2024
Director: Inma De Reyes
Producer: Aimara Reques
Co-producer: Beth Earl (Rustic canyon)
Executive Producer: Mark Thomas
Production company: Aconite Productions
Sales Agent: Syndicado
Screen Scotland support: The film accessed £57,564 through Screen Scotland’s Film Development and Production fund to support this exciting documentary from emerging director Inma De Reyes working with experienced Scotland-based producers Aconite Productions, and supporting wider Scottish talent and crew.
Synopsis
Filmed over five years, this intimate coming-of-age documentary traces the life of Borja, a young boy growing up in Castellón, a coastal town in Spain where the legacy of bullfighting casts a long shadow.
Borja inherits the weight of his grandfather Matías’s unfulfilled dream – to become a professional bullfighter. For Matías, it’s more than tradition; it’s a hope for escape from generational poverty. But for Borja, the path ahead is narrow, hemmed in by orange groves, fishing boats, and the blood-soaked sand of the bullring. As he grapples with his future, the film captures the quiet tension between progress and tradition in a place where choices are few and dreams come at a price.
Watch the trailer
More information
Preview: A special preview of the film was included in a Scottish showcase at Cannes Docs on 19 May 2023.
Premiere: The Boy and the Suit of Lights had its World Premiere at Sheffield DocFest in June 2024.
Theatrical release: The film will screen in selected cinemas in Scotland from 29 November 2026.
Image credits: Stills courtesy of Scotttish Documentary Institute