Skip to main content
Baby film image, director Cristina Sánchez Salamanca

Baby

Bebé

Canadian Premiere

The daughter from a man’s first marriage feels left out and misunderstood at a birthday celebration for her younger stepsister. This is a beautifully made family relations story about a child’s insecurities and a father’s failure to recognize his daughter’s needs in a difficult situation. Reminiscent of Catherine Breillat’s emotionally rich works minus the sexual identity aspects, the film captures the mood and feelings of awkward belonging and frustration the daughter is overwhelmed by. Baby stems directly from the director’s experience growing up and exposes the difficulties and confusion children may have when parental relationships change.

 

Community Partner

Director
Cast

Maria José Quintero, Rashed Esteffen, Juliana Bustillo, Mariana Tallaferro

Credits
Country of Origin

Colombia

Year

2022

Language

In Spanish with English subtitles

Film Contact
Links
15 min

Featured in:

Mumu film image

International Shorts: Family Ties

The bonds of family form the basis of this program of short films. Bonds with history and responsibility—sometimes close, sometimes strained—now and for the future.

 

MORE INFO

Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre

The Choral

Dir. Nicolas Hytner
113 min

Yorkshire, 1916. Dr Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes) is entrusted with the role of chorus master — despite his suspicious ties with Germany. As conscription papers arrive, the community is thrown into chaos, but music proves a worthy distraction.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes

Dir. Jenn Strom
82 min

A beautiful portrait of E.J. Hughes, who quietly helped reshape the artistic landscape of British Columbia in the 20th century. This extraordinary documentary explores Hughes’s legacy not only as an artist, but as a devoted, humble human being.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

H is for Hawk

Dir. Philippa Lowthorpe
114 min

Based on naturalist Helen MacDonald's memoir (scripted by Emma Donoghue), H is for Hawk follows Helen (Claire Foy), who, after the sudden death of her father embarks on an intense relationship... with a goshawk.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

2026 Oscar® Shorts (Live Action)

Dir. Various
119 min

This year's contenders in the Live Action category include comedies, drama, an experimental musical, and a dystopian fantasy; films from the UK and the US, France and Israel.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

Sirât

Dir. Óliver Laxe
115 min

A desperate father (Sergi Lopez) searchers for his missing daughter through the spiritual wasteland of the Moroccan desert. An unforgettable sensory powerhouse, Sîrat will have you riveted and rattled for hours after the end credits have rolled.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

2026 Oscar® Shorts (Documentary)

Dir. Various
157 min

Don't come to the program of Oscar®-nominated documentary shorts for escapism. But let's talk about the Canadian contender, Perfectly a Strangeness, featuring an abandoned observatory and three donkeys. More of this, please.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

Credits

Producer

Duván Duque Vargas, Natalia Barriga, Jaime Sánchez, Cristina Sánchez Salamanca

Screenwriter

Cristina Sánchez Salamanca

Cinematography

Luciana Riso

Editor

Ana Benzal

Production Design

Sofía Reyes

Original Music

Valeria Oggioni

Director

Cristina Sánchez Salamanca headshot, Baby director

Cristina Sánchez Salamanca

Cristina Sánchez Salamanca is a Bogotá-based director and screenwriter specializing in fiction and commercial content. After studying Film and TV Direction at the ESCAC in Barcelona, Sánchez Salamanca returned to Colombia in 2016. Her short film Baby had its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival’s Official Selection. She has worked as an Assistant Director and a Second Unit Director for Star+ and Disney+. Since 2022, Sánchez Salamanca has been the Head of Development at Vista Productions. She is currently developing her first feature film.