The Light We Left Behind (2026)

The Light We Left Behind is a 2026 Spanish romantic drama short directed, written and produced by Jose A. Ruiz. The 17-minute film follows Unai and Elena, childhood friends who skip school to keep an old promise: to set off fireworks together at a distant beach. Their journey on a tram gradually brings forgotten memories and long-suppressed feelings back to the surface.

Ángela Demati and Antonio de la Asunción lead the cast as Elena and Unai, with Sofía Sánchez and Álvaro García-Redondo portraying their younger selves. The film takes a quiet, intimate approach to adolescence, memory and the emotional changes that can accompany growing up, combining a naturalistic visual style with a contemplative rhythm.

• The film was released on June 5, 2026, and has a reported runtime of 17 minutes.
• Jose A. Ruiz serves as director, writer, producer and sound designer, making the project a strongly personal independent production.
• The main cast includes Ángela Demati, Antonio de la Asunción, Sofía Sánchez and Álvaro García-Redondo.
• Adrián Romero is credited as director of photography, while Víctor Ruiz and Ramón Ruiz Moreno are among the film's producers.
• The film is Ruiz's second short as a director, following The Astronomer, and continues his interest in memory, loss, youth and fleeting moments.