Turbo Celebrate the Universe of Spanish Design With “La Llama” Short Film

Wrangling the talents and styles of a small army of artists and animators, Spanish directing duo Turbo (aka Pau López & Gerardo del Hierro) conjure a propulsive and fully-surreal voyage through the world of Spanish design.

Produced by Barcelona prodco White Horse and based on a script by Leticia Sala, the film features creative direction by Apartamento Magazine founder Nacho Alegre, VFX/color by The Post Office, character design by Jaime Hayon, and an original score by Yerai Cortés.

Turbo: “The creative process was, above all, an exercise in radical honesty. It required looking inward and revisiting the fragments of our lives, the objects we have lived with, the spaces we have inhabited, and, most importantly, the moments that have stayed with us.
 

“The creative process was, above all, an exercise in radical honesty.”

 
“Memories are often anchored to the material world: the lamp bought with a first paycheck, or the quiet awe of seeing the Sagrada Família through the window of a taxi after a long night out. Moments of magic hidden within the everyday.

“It was through these reflections that the central idea of the project emerged. Rather than simply curating, we wanted to create a personal bible of the objects we love.

“From that spark, the journey became an education. Guided by the vision of Nacho Alegre from Apartamento, we were introduced to a rich universe of Spanish designers whose work was new to us.

“Together, we became obsessed with a singular mission: to build a visual dictionary of real life. We wanted to celebrate the objects that sit quietly at the edges of our existence yet shape so much of it.”
 

Images

 
A surreal scene inspired by Spanish Design: floating staircases, oversized hands, an eye, a person reading on a chair, and scattered, dreamlike objects in distorted, whimsical spaces and vivid colors. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A surreal, multicolored building inspired by Spanish Design stands alone on a vast, empty landscape under a pastel sky, with a large, floating red-orange object reminiscent of La Llama from the acclaimed short film. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A whimsical, colorful drawing of a surreal room inspired by Spanish design, with arched windows, a broken heart symbol, a red figure balancing on one leg, a striped pole, and abstract shapes scattered across a yellow floor. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A close-up illustration of a human eye with an Earth-like iris, showing continents and oceans. Warmly lit skin surrounds it, set against a starry sky—echoing the unique vision of Directing Duo Turbo as seen in their La Llama short film. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Abstract illustration with a red bird-like figure at the center, surrounded by colorful shapes and lines inspired by Spanish Design. Flowing scribbles fill the scene. Subtitles read, forget the shapes—a vibrant look from La Llama's short film aesthetic. Frame from Stash Magazine article.
 

Credits

 
Client: ICEX/Audiovisual

Production: White Horse, Apartamento
Director: Turbo
CD: Nacho Alegre
Writer: Leticia Sala, Vincenzo Angileri, Pau López
EP: Ale Maldonado
Producer: Carolina Iglesias, Jordi Giné, Lorena Monteiro
Coordinator: Flor Sardo
Editor: Ana Rull
Animation Director: Pablo Navarro
Artist: Martí Sawe, Maliboo, Hugo Rodríguez Rodríguez, Jaime Hayon, Paulina Mocna, Emma Roulette, Judit Arazo
Animator: Javi Vaquero, Ezequiel Cruz, Libardo Bohórquez, Fernando Abaca, Diego Ferrero, Toni Sala, Maliboo, Hugo Rodríguez Rodríguez, Joel Morales, Pablo Navarro, Martí Sawe
Cleanup Artist: Brenda Moreno, Julieta Culaciati, Joel Morales, Alba Prado, Ezequiel Cruz, Pau Anglada, David Feliu, Martí Sawe, Maliboo, Hugo Rodríguez Rodríguez
3D Artist: Gergely Wootsch, Carlos Neda, Borja Alegre, Bernat Martínez
Graphic Designer: Erques Torres
Designer: Pablo Iranzo

Post/VFX: The Post Office
Colorist: Patricia Brewatt
Compositing Lead: Pol Esteller
Compositor: Hugo Basism, Lúber Mujica

Music: Metropolis Studios
Music: Alex Cappa
Producer: Sergio Jimenez
Mixer: Gabriela Nieto, Sergio Jimenez

Mix: Studio El
Mixer: Haritz Lete

Cast: Isabel Herguera, Jordi Labanda, Khris Cembe, María Médem, María Trénor, Marc Torices