Domestic Animals
Fiction Drama/Digital 2k/2025
Directors: Alex Méndez Giner & Sandy Siquier
Producer: Sandy Siquier & Alex Méndez Giner
Writer: Sandy Siquier
Actors: Sandy Siquier, Ignacio García-Bustello
Cinematography: Alex Méndez Giner
Music: Weyler
Editing: Alex Méndez Giner & Sandy Siquier
Color: Leonardo Zuloaga
Synopsis
Domestic Animals is a haunting drama that peels back the silence surrounding domestic violence. Through the intimate story of a couple trapped in a cycle of pain, the film explores the emotional complexity and nuances of domestic partner abuse. A silent cat watches from the sidelines—an unsettling metaphor for our collective inaction. Inspired by real survivor testimonies, Domestic Animals is a bold, unflinching call to awareness and empathy.
Director's Statement
On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). Shockingly, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. These staggering statistics demand urgent attention, and it is from this urgency that Domestic Animals was born.
Determined to raise awareness and amplify the voices of those who have been silenced, we crafted a narrative grounded in real events to shape our story. These characters, trapped in a vicious cycle and unable to recognize themselves as both victims and, at times, perpetrators, became the foundation of this project.
Domestic Animals is more than just a film, it serves as a mirror reflecting the hidden and subtle nuances of domestic violence. Through this couple, we explore how victims navigate their circumstances and find ways to cope with their pain in order to survive. Our goal was to bring private struggles into public view, portraying the raw and unfiltered truth of these experiences.
From the fringes, a cat observes the drama—present but ineffectual, curious yet useless. It serves as a somber metaphor for a society that stays inactive, using privacy or intimacy as an excuse to allow domestic violence to persist.
Domestic Animals is an act of courage, a project born from the need to illuminate these complex situations and urge audiences to reflect, question, and confront deeply ingrained beliefs about what constitutes acceptable behavior.
Through this work, we hope to provoke not only awareness but meaningful dialogue and, ultimately, change.
Sandy Siquier & Alex Mendez Giner
Festivals
