"A Turret in Flames": Mexican short film about a wounded soldier conquers Europe en route to Ariel Awards

Humberto Flores Jáuregui's short film, "Una torreta en llamas" (A Turret in Flames), is making waves internationally, having been screened across Europe and now setting its sights on the Asian market. The film, produced in Guadalajara, Mexico, has been picked up by Colombian company Bogoshorts Films, which aims to foster a culture around short films and enhance their distribution.

"Una torreta en llamas" tells the story of a soldier wounded during a confrontation and his subsequent rescue by a peasant woman living in the mountains. The film is nominated for an Ariel Award, Mexico's prestigious film prize, in the Fiction category. Director Flores Jáuregui explained that the intention was to create something different from the typical narratives about violence and insecurity in Mexico.

"We wanted to put something out that was distinct because many films have already told stories about violence and insecurity (in Mexico), and we wanted something more from empathy, seeing in the other not just a latent danger, but a possibility of empathy and something better, and how reality also crushes that hope a bit," Flores Jáuregui stated.

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We wanted to put something out that was distinct because many films have already told stories about violence and insecurity (in Mexico), and we wanted something more from empathy, seeing in the other not just a latent danger, but a possibility of empathy and something better, and how reality also crushes that hope a bit.

The film's journey began with a screening at the Guadalajara International Film Festival, reaching an audience of about a thousand people. Its subsequent submission to Bogoshorts Films led to its international exposure. The director noted that the Colombian company distributes only about ten short films annually, making their selection of "Una torreta en llamas" a significant achievement. The film's cast includes Michelle Martínez Hernández, Guadalupe Ortíz, Jesús Estrada Escobedo, and Ernesto Meléndez.

Flores Jáuregui acknowledged the current negative perception of Mexican soldiers but emphasized that the film avoids judgment. "In the story, I have a soldier and a hawk who is, in quotes, one of the bad guys, but we never judge. The protagonist, a lifelong woman from her community, knows that circumstances led the hawk to a certain place, and the soldier likewise. They never say if they are good or bad, and life is like that, it's not black and white, but rather there are grays," he explained. The film is set to be part of a cycle leading up to the 2026 Ariel Awards, with an online screening scheduled.

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In the story, I have a soldier and a hawk who is, in quotes, one of the bad guys, but we never judge. The protagonist, a lifelong woman from her community, knows that circumstances led the hawk to a certain place, and the soldier likewise. They never say if they are good or bad, and life is like that, it's not black and white, but rather there are grays.