Cenizas (Ashes) is a short film that invites deep reflection on gender-based violence, domestic dynamics, and power. Since its festival circuit debut, the piece has traveled through international stages and is now set to screen in Buenos Aires as part of the Shnit Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cortometrajes.
Cenizas (Ashes) is a short film directed, written, and written-for-the-screen by Gabriela Orlandi. The piece stars Laura Novoa and Fabián Arenillas and was released in 2023. The film delves into the complexities of human relationships and the violence that can inhabit intimate dynamics, using an intimate, visually arresting narrative to illuminate these themes.
The central mechanism of Cenizas is a seemingly ordinary moment—a game of chess—that unfolds to reveal the underlying tensions and patterns of mistreatment within a relationship. The chessboard becomes a lens through which the audience observes the dynamics of control, power, and vulnerability. Through precise visuals and a restrained script, the film demonstrates how everyday interactions can conceal coercive behavior, inviting viewers to witness the moment when actions speak louder than words. The couple’s moves carry weight, with the violence subtly encased within the game’s progression, creating an ominous undercurrent that lingers beyond the board.
Cenizas has already toured international festivals, including appearances in Berlin, Germany, and the United States. In 2024, it was part of the Official Selection at the Topaz Film Festival in Texas. In 2025, Cenizas was included in the Official Selection of VIERTE WEELE, #METOO, in Berlin, further underscoring its ongoing relevance and impact.
In Argentina, Cenizas will be screened on August 25, 2025, at Casa Humahuaca as part of the Shnit Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cortometrajes, in the section “Dulce de Leche.” For more details on times and schedule, follow @shnitbuenosaires. The festival’s trailer can be viewed at https://goarte.ar/cenizas/.
Technical Cast and Crew:
- Protagonists: Laura Novoa and Fabián Arenillas
- Direction / Screenplay: Gabriela Orlandi
- Production Lead: Matias Orlandi
- Assistant Production: Gary Koretzky
- Director of Photography: Emanuel Sarmiento (ADF)
- Production Design: María Victoria Carelli
- Sound Design and Mix: Gastón Ibarroule
- Editing: Maximiliano Trionfante – Victoria Momeño
- Color: Emanuel Sarmiento (ADF)
- Postproduction: Neon Rebels
- Acknowledgments: LFR Films – Stephanie Aixa Buquet
Gabriela Orlandi was born in 1976 in Buenos Aires. She is a writer, screenwriter, and director whose work is noted for its raw, lyrical quality, often crossing literary and cinematic genres to explore human vulnerability and social issues.
Publications and Selected Works: Cenizas (2023): Orlandi’s directorial debut as a short film. Animales Hambrientos: A poetic trilogy published by Viajera Editorial (2024) — Voraz, I ind, Carnada II, Ir-al-hueso III. Pelota Negra: Novel, Cooperativa El Zócalo, Ediciones Zeta (2023). Pasiones: Screenplay (2019). Roce: Poetry book-object, Olivia Editorial (2019). Cenizas burguesas en un banquete: Poetic short on gender violence, De los cuatro vientos Editorial (2015). Acá Allá: Dream narrative, De los cuatro vientos Editorial (2013).
Orlandi has contributed to numerous literary events and anthologies, including Siempre de viaje, 1 universo de 13 mundos. Diccionario poético (co-edited, 2025); Bacanal poética (co-authored, 2024); Bajé a respirar (2021); and Antología de poesía en el taller del silencio (2019, 2016, 2011).
Photo credits: Flor Carrozza. Photo cover: Gabriela Orlandi The photograph comes from the artist’s website.
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