Drawing on the wild and wacky works of artists Buñuel, Lorca, and Dalí as inspiration, Mariana Ant is nothing short of a visual dream. Filmmakers Maite Uzal and Rubén Pascual Tardío carefully craft a fantastical world in their satiric fable of a contrasting dynamic between mother and daughter. Set to lively music and featuring a colorful palette, Mariana Ant is an uptempo and creative homage to the folklore and culture of Spain.

A Surreal Once Upon a Time

Opening with the quintessential “Once Upon a Time…”, Mariana Ant is set in the fictional working-class town of Thorbat. Here, a mother and daughter’s growing tension comes to a head when their differences become too big to ignore. Both women survive by begging local townspeople for provisions; it’s a hustle that Mother (Maite Uzal) enjoys, and her daughter (Úrsula Tomás Abril) despises. Mother is lazy and hopes to become rich without lifting a finger. Her daughter, on the other hand, is hardworking and empathetic. She admires the grit and drive of worker ants, wishing that she could join them. One afternoon, mother and daughter come across a mysterious woman who is able to grant their wishes. However, their vision of happily ever after doesn’t turn out to be the storybook ending they expected.

Director’s Statement

Says Maite Uzal: “Many who watch Mariana Ant will indeed say that ‘I have no sense. That’s when I’ll say, ‘But I don’t care.’ In creating and producing this film, I was fiercely determined to do things the way I thought I should do them. Regardless of trends, desires to please, political correctness, or algorithms. With that in mind… I have only aspired to be true to myself. What you have in front of you is exactly what played in the universe of my imagination. Fueled by the sincere and most heartfelt trepidation of an artist who takes full responsibility for remaining forever a child.”

Takeaway

Directors Maite Uzal and Rubén Pascual Tardío playfully infuse a comical edge into the surreal world of Mariana Ant. The result is a zany fable about the consequences that can come with getting what you want. There are moments when the filmmakers seem to prioritize aesthetics over storytelling. However, this 16-minute short film embraces its unconventional nature and never gives us a dull moment. Mariana Ant played earlier this year at the 2025 Cerdanya Film Festival in Catalonia, Spain.