Spain, Portugal, 2025, 93′
In Spanish with English and Slovenian subtitles

Directed by: Alberto Vázquez
Written by: Alberto Vázquez, Francesc Xavier Manuel
Music Composer: Joseba Beristain
Editing: Estanis Bañuelos
Sound Design: Iñaki Alonso
Set Design: Fabio Besse
Animation Director: Pamela Poltronieri
Art director: Jose Luis Ágreda
Producers: Iván Miñambres, Chelo Loureiro, J.M. Fdez de Vega, Nuno Beato
Production: UniKo, Abano Producions, The Glow Anim Studio
Cast: Asier Hormaza, Aintzane Gamiz, Kandido Uranga, Mikel Garmendia, José Felipe Auzmendi, Ander Vildósola, Nagore Irizar, Arkaitz Gartziandia, Marga Altolaguirre, Iñaki Beraetxe

Following Psychonauts and Unicorn Wars, Alberto Vázquez returns with another surreal animated feature replete with black humour. Similar to Mickey Mouse characters but living in much more violent worlds, Vázquez’s heroes find themselves in a kind of Truman Show reality. To be happy, Arnold the mouse takes pills made by ALMA, a mega-corporation controlling everything and everyone. But slowly, he begins to wonder, first paranoidly, then genuinely, whether everything around him might be just a facade.

Director’s Statement

The story of Decorado was born out of a long journey filled with coincidences, artistic discoveries, and the people who made this feature film possible. I have always been interested in addressing contemporary issues through fantasy. Metaphor and fable allow us to tell stories from a different place, offering new perspectives on reality.

Animals, untethered from a specific time or place, belong to all cultures; they come from fables and classic tales but also from the origins of comics and animation. That is why they are deeply rooted in our collective imagination and universally understood. Besides, animals are more beautiful in every sense than humans.

Arnold faces a multiple crisis — existential, professional, emotional, and romantic — and his personal battle against this prefabricated society drives his quest for freedom. The film becomes a critical fable about the meaning of life and human liberty, revealing that the only possible way out lies in genuine, heartfelt bonds. True friendship and love emerge as salvation in a world saturated with superficial relationships and hollow work.

Awards and festivals (selection):

– Special Jury Prize, Animation Is Film Festival 2025
– Official Fantastic Competition, Sitges IFF 2025
– official competition, Tokyo IFF 2025
– official competition, BFI London FF 2025
– Feature Film Competition, Ottawa IAF 2025