Hide & Seek
A quiet return to the simplicity of being young
Directed by Alejandra Vidal
words by Katie Huelin
Drifting through dusty light and half-remembered echoes, Hide & Seek, directed by Alejandra Vidal, captures the fleeting magic of childhood, those quick footsteps, hushed breaths, and the bright jolt of being discovered. Shot on textured 16mm, Vidal’s short blurs memory and daydream, transforming a simple game and one’s imagination, into a reminder about a lifelong desire to be found.
Known for her intuitive sense of beauty and emotional intimacy, Vidal crafts work that’s meant to be felt as much as seen. In this exclusive feature, she reflects on memory, motherhood, and the delicate art of holding onto moments that slip through our hands.
Hide & Seek feels like a quiet return to the simplicity of being young. You’ve mentioned the film began by observing your own children. How did those real moments translate into Hide & Seek?
It really started with just watching my boys play. The way they hold their breath in hiding, slide their little hands under doors to say hello, or watching the terrible spots they'd pick to hide in. There’s a kind of magic in that, the way they really believe they’re hidden, even when you can see them the whole time. Hide & Seek came from wanting to hold on to that feeling as I sensed it slipping away. The beautiful simplicity and way that small moments can feel ordinary to us, but absolutely special when you’re young.
The decision to shoot on 16mm adds a warmth and imperfection that feels like memory itself. What is it about film grain and texture that connects with the themes you’re exploring?
I’ve always felt that 16mm film holds emotion in a way digital can’t. There’s something about the grain, the softness, and the slight unpredictability that mirrors how memory feels. It is beautifully imperfect at times, fleeting, and alive. I wanted the audience to feel like they were remembering along with the narrator how childhood felt, not just watching from the outside.
There’s an innocence running through Hide & Seek, but also a quiet sense of loss. Was it important for you to hold both of those feelings in the same frame?
Yes, absolutely. I think innocence and loss often live side by side, especially when we look back at childhood. There’s a sweetness in remembering how simple things once were, but also a soft ache in realizing how much time has passed. For me, it wasn’t about choosing one emotion over the other, but letting them coexist, because that’s what growing up feels like. Hide & Seek holds both: the laughter of the moment and the tenderness of knowing it won’t last forever.
“The beautiful simplicity and way that small moments can feel ordinary to us, but absolutely special when you’re young.”
The narration and sound design give the piece such emotional depth, it’s soft but deeply resonant. How did you and your team approach building that?
Sound was everything for this piece. I kept asking myself what a childhood memory could sound like. Soft, layered, and close. I used the child’s counting as a heartbeat throughout and then built around that with textures that felt tactile. I recorded their breathing after running, utilized soundscapes for fabric, and textures like wind chimes and the sound of wind against leaves on the tree to capture the quiet moments in between.
Your visual language often celebrates stillness and light, lens flares, slow movement, gentle colour. What draws you to that aesthetic, and what does it allow you to express?
I’m always drawn to stillness and light because they hold emotion quietly. I love to explore what I call the inner worlds. There’s something about the way light moves through a room or catches on someone’s skin that feels like a language of its own. Stillness gives the viewer time to feel rather than just watch, and the softness of movement lets emotion unfold naturally. I think I’m always chasing that in-between space where beauty and vulnerability meet, and where something small suddenly feels infinite.
Hide & Seek captures a moment of pause in a world that rarely stops. What do you hope people carry with them after watching it?
I hope it reminds people of something simple they might have forgotten — what it felt like to play. To be fully in a moment without needing to hold on to it. Hide & Seek isn’t only about childhood, it’s about that part of us that still wants to be found. Something that I think stays with us long after childhood.
What's next for you?
Next for me is continuing to explore where this kind of sensitivity can live, both in narrative work and in the commercial world. I’m developing my feature Shadows, which expands on themes of family, imagination, and loss, while also exploring commercial projects that invite tenderness and wonder into unexpected spaces. Whether narrative or brand-driven, I am constantly drawn to work that reminds people of what it feels like to pause, notice, and be moved.
A childhood memory carries a woman back to the wonder of play, still lingering at the edges of her imagination.
Credits:
Alejandra Vidal - Director
Madina Khan
Writer
Mateo Vidal
Key Cast
Luca Vidal
Key Cast
Olive Viloria
Key Cast
Adelaide McLain
Key Cast
Oliver McLain
Key Cast
Trust
Executive Producer
Sarah Brannan
Executive Producer
Alejandra Vidal
Editor
Julianna Oommen
Associate Producer
Ryan Dent
Director of Photography
Alexandra Smith
Art Directors
McKenna Fraga
Art Directors
Obed Gonzalez
Gaffer
Chad Lawrence
Key Grip
Vikersund by RØRE
Music