The project, which was presented on Wednesday, April 8, in Madrid, will feature the participation of Maite González García-Negrotto, Deputy Mayor for Culture of the Cádiz City Council; Pepe Bablé, director of La Tía Norica; José Manuel Serrano Cueto, director of the short film; and Jorge Rivera, producer. Cast members such as Manuel Morón, Lupe Mateo Barredo, and Charo Reina also attended.
“"This cinematic project is an act of poetic justice for our culture. It is an opportunity for the rest of the world to discover the irreverence, tenderness, and above all, the wisdom of one of our neighbors. Today we are not just presenting a film; we are presenting the encounter of two worlds. On one hand, the centuries-old tradition of La Tía Norica, with its more than 200 years of history, and on the other hand, the magic of cinema, capable of immortalizing that tradition and bringing it to new audiences."
The play El sueño (The Dream), written by Pepe Bablé, has been adapted for the big screen by the author himself in collaboration with the Cádiz filmmaker José Manuel Serrano Cueto, who will also direct. The idea of bringing La Tía Norica's puppets to cinema emerged more than two years ago, inspired by the film Strings (2004).
The short film, titled El sueño fantástico de Batillo (Batillo's Fantastic Dream), will feature an outstanding voice cast, including Pablo Carbonell, Víctor Clavijo, Fátima Domínguez, Ruth Gabriel, Alejandra López, Lupe Mateo Barredo, Manuel Morón, Juan Ochoa, Álex O’Dogherty, Joaquín Perles, Rocío Segovia, and José Troncoso. The voices of Batillo and Norica will be performed by their usual interpreters, Eduardo Bablé and Manuela Quintana, respectively. Additionally, actress Petra Martínez, known for her role in La que se avecina and recipient of the South International Series Festival Tribute Award in 2023, will make a special appearance in the film.
The production is handled by JRivera Producciones, with primary support from the Cádiz City Council. The artistic and technical team will be mainly composed of Andalusian professionals, many of them from Cádiz. The music will be created by Isabel Royán, who will draw inspiration from Eduardo Bablé's compositions for the stage version.
