His work explores the social particularities of urban life, focusing on how public spaces and environments shape people and communities. His graduation film, Not So Public Spaces, delves into the effects of gentrification on local subcultures and the transformation of shared spaces under capitalist influence.
Working primarily in animation and film, Rares combines humor, empathy, and critique through exaggerated caricatures and richly detailed backgrounds that make his worlds feel lived-in. His visual style draws inspiration from early 2000s cartoons, known for their expressive characters and bold, simplified designs.
Trailler
Subcultures are giving neglected spaces a new life. Until they collide with Job, who has a different vision for society. Slowly, the places that mean so much to people are turned into a gentrified, manufactured, capitalist ‘paradise’.
Director’s Statement
This film grew from watching the places I loved slowly disappear. Spaces that once belonged to local subcultures were reshaped by gentrification, altering not just the city but the sense of belonging within it. Through Not So Public Spaces, I reflect on how my hometown changed over time, and how these transformations leave lasting marks on the communities that once defined it.
Kaboom Festival 2026 - Official Selection
Primanima Festival 2026 - Official Selection
TIFF Cluj 2026 - Official Selection
MIAF 2026 - Official Selection
Prime the Animation Valencia - Official Selection
Este Film Festival 2026 - Official Selection
Platforma BD 2026 - Official Selection
Athens ANIMAFILM - Official Selection
Animinspo Bristol February 2026 - Screening
and more...
Grounded-Up (Short Film - In development)
Liam, an enthusiastic young employee, oversees the production of a company video presenting what everybody’s job is and how they got employed at Shadow Inc., a mysterious company that started a confidential construction project in the city. While Liam presents his video, it’s revealed that everyone is working on a platform with spikes above the city that will eventually fall onto it. Regular people raise minor concerns about what is being built around them, but everyone would rather ignore it to keep their jobs. After meeting with the mayor, Liam starts feeling uneasy about the project, but he would rather stay silent than raise concerns.
Director’s Statement
Lately, I’ve been researching how corporations affect small communities around the world, mostly in Europe and the US, and how their predatory practices exploit vulnerable people on the brink of economic collapse. I chose the format of a short animated film because it’s an accessible, poetic way to communicate my message to a wide range of ages and communities. Animation is an exaggerated way of showing what reality could become, and making it more abstract helps it have a wider conversation around it.