The Land of Backward Flying Birds

Ruben has devoted his life to capturing birds and has sealed himself off among iron cages, trapping nets, and the meticulous entries of a registry book. Into this world comes a small paper bird that has come to life, a fragile creature that becomes Ruben's elusive guide and leads him all the way to a place he has not dared to enter for many years: his childhood room. There, forgotten objects gradually awaken images of the past. The moments when, as a boy, he watched the birds outside his window with fascination and dreamed of coming closer to them. His longing to take flight once led him to a bold but tragic attempt to imitate their flight. That was the day his fascination turned into a bitter resentment. Each of us carries within us such a ""room of memories,"" waiting for our return. Only when Ruben manages to open his own does he begin to understand that the past cannot be imprisoned like birds in cages, and that there is always a moment to open the cage door and allow change.

Director’s statement
The idea for this film grew from my need to explore what we carry inside ourselves, what keeps us bound, and whether we are capable of releasing what we have clung to for a lifetime. In Ruben I see not only a character, but part of myself, my path between fear and desire, between stillness and movement. I hope to turn my inner search into a universal image in which viewers may recognize their struggles. The film uses symbolic motifs: a clock tower where time has stopped, a bird prison, a small paper bird, and a childhood room where past and present intersect. Told without dialogue, image and sound open a path to emotional understanding across boundaries.

Visually, the film pays homage to black-and-white cinema. Traditional handcrafted puppet animation creates a delicate play of light, shadow, and space.

I hope the film is a quiet impulse toward transformation. If it appears like a fragile paper bird showing viewers a direction, Ruben’s journey will have meaning beyond the screen."