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Casa chica

Berlinale Shorts 2025
© Angel Jara Taboada
After their parents separate, 11-year-old Quique and 5-year-old Valentina move into a tiny apartment under their mother’s care. On their first Sunday with their father, he introduces them to his “new family” where the siblings discover that their half-sister is the same age as Valentina. Through a cinematographic diptych, we experience their emotions and perspectives, piecing together the director’s fragmented memories. The term “casa chica” (small house) refers to a form of concubinage in Mexican society. It involves a secondary family – comprising a wife and children – that some married men maintain separately from their primary family, known as the “casa grande” (big house).
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by Lau Charles (Director, Screenplay)
with Katherine Bernal, Mauro Guzmán, Raúl Briones, Kala Martínez, Daniela Arroio Mexico 2025 Spanish 26' Colour World premiere

With

  • Katherine Bernal (Valentina)
  • Mauro Guzmán (Quique)
  • Raúl Briones (Enrique)
  • Kala Martínez (Valeria)
  • Daniela Arroio (Carolina)

Crew

Director Lau Charles
Screenplay Lau Charles
Cinematography Ángel Jara Taboada
Editing Santiago Zermeño
Music Marco Charles Alonso Alemán
Sound Design Jorge Leal Carrera
Production Design Daniela V. Ponce
Casting Meraqui Pradis
Producer Luna Martínez Montero

Produced by

Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica

Photos

Lau Charles

© Santiago Zermeño

The director and visual artist was born in Mexico City in 1991. She studied film directing at the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica and visual arts at the Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado “La Esmeralda”. Her art and films focus on the world of childhood. She is co-founder of Pininos, a project that has been dedicated to casting and acting training for children since 2016. Her short film Olote was invited to dozens of international festivals, including the Huesca International Film Festival.

Filmography (short films)

2020 El arte de retratar (The Art of Portraying) 2021 Olote 2025 Casa chica

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2025