Votemos (2025) by Santiago Requejo: A Neighborhood Vote with a Dark Twist
- dailyentertainment95
- Aug 14
- 5 min read
Short Summary: An Ordinary Meeting, An Extraordinary Conflict In a downtown Madrid apartment building, what begins as a routine meeting to vote on a new elevator escalates into a full-blown conflict. The unexpected news that a new tenant with mental health issues will be moving in turns the gathering into a tense and dramatic debate about prejudice, empathy, and the limits of community. Based on an award-winning short film, this feature film uses a confined setting to explore big ideas about social tolerance.
Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34383359/
About movie: https://www.deaplaneta.com/es/votemos
Link to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/all-in-favor (UK), https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0N0G6U385KJYE2SKQOZ6AHZQOO/ref=dvm_src_ret_es_xx_s (Spain)
Detailed Summary: Prejudice Under Pressure
The Neighborhood Meeting: A community of neighbors gathers for what should be a simple vote on replacing their building's elevator. The meeting is initially filled with the typical squabbles and minor disagreements of apartment living.
The Unexpected News: The meeting takes a sharp turn when one of the neighbors reveals that a new tenant with a history of mental health issues is going to be renting an apartment in the building. This announcement acts as a catalyst, bringing to the surface the deep-seated prejudices and fears of the residents.
The Moral Debate: The vote on the elevator is forgotten as the neighbors begin to debate whether they should allow a person with mental health issues to live in their building. The discussion becomes a heated and often uncomfortable exploration of their own biases and their willingness to accept someone different from themselves.
A Moral Conundrum: The film's drama comes from the central moral dilemma it presents to the audience. It invites viewers to ask themselves what they would do in a similar situation and challenges the idea that we are all tolerant until we are personally inconvenienced.
A Climax of Conflict: The movie culminates in a final vote that will decide the fate of the new tenant. The outcome is not just about a person's living situation, but about the community's capacity for empathy and its true values.
Director's Vision: Challenging Preconceived Ideas Santiago Requejo, who also wrote the screenplay, based the film on a personal experience shared with him by a psychiatrist friend about a patient with paranoid schizophrenia who was denied housing due to a landlord's and neighbors' prejudices.
Requejo's vision is to challenge the preconceived ideas and prejudices that society holds toward mental health.
He aims to create a film that is both a drama and a comedy, using humor to make a serious and uncomfortable topic more accessible to a wider audience.
By setting the film in a single location—a neighborhood meeting—he hopes to build an authentic and relevant story with complex characters that reflect the viewer's reality.
Themes: Mental Health, Empathy, and Social Prejudice
Social Prejudices Against Mental Health: The central theme of the film is the stigma surrounding mental illness. The neighbors' fear and prejudice highlight how a lack of understanding and empathy can lead to discrimination and ostracism.
The Limits of Empathy: The film explores the idea that we all see ourselves as tolerant until we are faced with a personal dilemma. The neighbors' debate forces the audience to confront the limits of their own empathy and tolerance.
The Power of Community: While the film highlights the dark side of a community, it also explores the idea of community itself as a powerful force for both good and bad. The collective decision of the neighbors will either reinforce or challenge their shared values.
Key Success Factors: A Powerful and Resonant Story
Based on an Acclaimed Short: The film is based on a Goya-nominated and Oscar-shortlisted short film of the same name, which demonstrates the strength and power of its core concept.
Strong Cast: The film has a talented ensemble cast, including Clara Lago, Tito Valverde, and Gonzalo de Castro, who bring the complex and conflicted characters to life.
Timely and Relevant Topic: The film's focus on mental health is timely and relevant, as it addresses a growing global conversation about the need for greater understanding and acceptance of mental illness.
Awards and Nominations: A Promising Spanish Film As a new film, Votemos has received a nomination for the Golden Biznaga award for Best Spanish Film at the Malaga Film Festival. Its roots in an award-winning short film also give it a strong foundation and a promising start in the festival circuit.
Critics Reception: A Timely and Humorous Drama
Cineuropa: The review from Cineuropa describes the film as a comedy-drama that takes a serious look at mental health. The review notes that the film is a feature-length adaptation of a short film and stage play of the same name, and that it has been praised for its timely and relevant topic.
FilmAffinity: This review provides a synopsis and a list of the cast and crew, but no critical analysis.
Overall, critics see Votemos as a promising film that uses humor and drama to address a serious and relevant topic. The consensus is that the film is a worthy expansion of its short film predecessor.
Reviews: A Catalyst for Conversation
IMDb: IMDb provides a synopsis and notes that the film is based on a short film and stage play.
YouTube: The trailer for the film has a description that frames the movie as a "black comedy" that is "honest, brave and necessary." This suggests that viewers can expect a film that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.
Overall, reviews portray the film as a catalyst for conversation, a film that will make people laugh and think at the same time. It is seen as a film that is both entertaining and socially important.
Theatrical Release: June 13, 2025 (Spain).
Why to recommend movie: A Glimpse into Social Prejudice
A Fresh Take on a Serious Issue: If you are looking for a film that uses humor and a clever premise to explore a serious topic, this movie is for you. It will make you laugh while also making you think about your own biases.
A Strong Ensemble Cast: The film features a talented cast of Spanish actors who bring the complex and often flawed characters to life, making the moral dilemma of the film feel real and personal.
A Timely and Relevant Story: The film is a powerful and timely look at the stigma surrounding mental health. It is a film that will leave you with much to discuss and reflect on after you've seen it.
Movie Trend: The Ensemble Comedy-Drama Votemos is part of a trend of films that use a small ensemble cast and a single location to create a powerful and intimate story. These films, often categorized as comedy-dramas, use the confined space and the clash of different personalities to explore larger social issues. This trend allows filmmakers to create compelling narratives without a big budget, relying on a strong script and great performances.
Social Trend: Mental Health Awareness The film directly addresses the ongoing social trend of increased mental health awareness and the fight against the stigma surrounding it. The story of a community debating whether to allow a person with mental health issues to live in their building is a direct reflection of the very real prejudices that exist in society. The film aims to challenge these prejudices and encourage a more empathetic and understanding approach to mental health.
Final Verdict: An Honest, Brave, and Necessary Film Santiago Requejo's Votemos is an honest, brave, and necessary film that uses a simple premise to explore complex social issues. It is a film that will resonate with audiences who are looking for a thought-provoking cinematic experience that is both humorous and dramatic. The film's strength lies in its ability to challenge the audience's own prejudices and leave them with a profound sense of introspection.
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