Director, producer, screenwriter and writer from Madrid Augusto M. Torres is a central figure in a new short documentary that spotlights Colonia de Santa Eulalia, an abandoned historic village nestled between Sax and Villena. The site received Cultural Interest status in 2016, underscoring its architectural and patrimonial importance. The project aims to raise visibility for the devastated conditions of the enclave and to chronicle its layered past, including the palace, theatre, hermitage, post office, alcohol factory, flour mill, and casino that defined the 19th century landscape. This documentary frames Santa Eulalia as a case study in preservation, highlighting what remains and what time has washed away. (Source: production notes)
Torres directs the film with a clear objective: to document the decline while respecting the site’s historical weight. The film crew gains access to the ruins and uses the palace and theatre as focal points to convey the scale of decay and the urgency of safeguarding the heritage. The narrative emphasizes that Santa Eulalia was once a vibrant hub, a place of cultural and historical significance whose memory continues to echo through its remaining structures. (Source: production notes)
Santa Eulalia rose to wider public awareness through a popular television series that depicted the village as its main setting. Today, with the community at risk and the structures deteriorating, the documentary presents an urgent invitation to preserve what survives while documenting the process of decline for future study. (Source: production notes)
In the film, viewers will witness the visible rot of the terrain and the complicity of the heirs, notably Vincent Markone, who appears in the narrative and grants permission for the crew to shoot inside the palace and the theatre. The short form of the film uses these real-world constraints to ground its storytelling in authenticity and immediacy. (Source: production notes)
Filming also occurred in Sax and Villena during the week, with the final sequence expected to run about twenty to thirty minutes in the completed cut. The pacing reflects a documentary approach that balances observational footage with contextual interviews and archival material. (Source: production notes)
Through a personal connection with the Elche author and filmmaker Vincent Molina Foix, the project found a literary ally who has collaborated on screenplays with notable writers. Augusto M. Torres, who has a long history of writing for cinema, is closely involved in shaping the script for this short film. The collaboration brings a layered, literary sensibility to the documentary, enriching the voice and perspective of the narrative. (Source: production notes)
In the broader production circle, figures such as Miguel Herrero Herrero, director of the Sax International Film Festival, and Vincent Vazquez, a local historian, contributed their expertise to the project. Their involvement anchors the documentary in the region of Sax and helps illuminate the village’s historical context for viewers unfamiliar with the locale. (Source: production notes)
Filmmaker and producer Torres has directed a prolific body of work and collaborated on projects with prominent talents in Spanish cinema. The catalog includes feature films and literary adaptations, and the subject of this documentary aligns with a long-standing interest in how memory and place intersect with cultural heritage. The film’s approach is observational and reflective, prioritizing the integrity of the site and the nuanced stories of those connected to it. (Source: production notes)
Although the exact premiere date remains to be confirmed, the film is slated to be featured as part of the 17th Sax International Film Festival, scheduled to run from July 8 to July 15. The festival environment will provide a platform for audiences to engage with the documentary’s themes, including preservation, cultural memory, and the responsibilities of heirs and communities when facing decline. (Source: production notes)