What did you draw inspiration from to create this short film?

We can’t quite remember the exact moment when this idea began to take shape, nor when the notion of ‘imposed’ motherhood sank deeply within us. Probably, given our age, motherhood has been a recurring topic among friends, in interviews, or in family circles. Since audiovisual work and art are our means of expression, we thought of portraying all these concerns through an animated short film. In this case, embracing the idea that the personal is political, we decided to tell the story using what’s closest to us: the stories of our mothers and grandmothers, along with our own personal experiences.

How has participating in the Aukera programme from (H)emen helped you?

The opportunity to create the short film has undoubtedly been the main support provided by the Aukera programme. Thanks to the mentoring sessions, we made significant progress in developing the project. In fact, the guidance and insights from professional women helped us give the project its final form. Additionally, in our case, the project was able to come to life thanks to the trust Izaskun Arandia placed in us from the start, along with the boost from the awards.

What was the main challenge/difficulty in executing this work?

The main challenge has undoubtedly been working on the animation. The short film, in addition to having digital animation, also features hand-drawn animation. Although it’s a beautiful process, creating the animation is a huge undertaking, and the project’s production has to adapt to the animation, as it requires its own time and powerful tools. It has been an incredible learning process.

‘The Last One’ will be in the official selection of Zinebi. How did you receive the news?

With great joy! Being able to premiere it at home was fantastic news. When we began the script and the project for the short film in 2021, we already had the dream of debuting it in the official selection of Zinebi. We have felt closely connected to the festival since we started university, thanks to Vanesa Fernández (former director of Zinebi).

What do you hope the Zinebi audience will take away from this story?

That they think and reflect on the topic of motherhood, above all. The aim of this project is to spark a conversation between the perspectives, prejudices, pressures, benefits, and fears surrounding this topic. We intend to broaden the visual field, delve into the reasons and causes behind why we become mothers, and reflect on the possibilities for women. We want to question such a socially naturalised subject.

After the festival, what path do you hope for? Do you plan to participate in other festivals with this work?

Yes! We hope to have a long festival run for one or two years, if possible. In any case, we hope to continue showing the short film after the festivals, as we believe the theme explored in our work is highly educational and could be shown in schools, feminist associations, or other types of organisations or centres. Ending our distribution journey with screenings of this kind would be a wonderful conclusion for us.