Javier Ruiz Caldera’s ‘5 More Minutes’ made its world premiere in San Sebastián’s main competition. The film stars writer-actor Berto Romero and Belén Cuesta as a married couple seeking to rebuild their relationship at a vacation home in Girona, Catalonia. Their efforts are interrupted when they experience repeated temporal loops, with time jumping back five minutes repeatedly, causing mounting paranoia. Javier Cámara appears in a supporting role as the property manager who provides access to the home.
The production blends multiple genres—black comedy, science fiction, and thriller elements—creating what organizers describe as a narrative driven by nightmare logic. Ruiz Caldera structured the entire film around precisely timed five-minute sequences, requiring extensive coordination across cinematography, production design, costumes, sound, and visual effects departments. Every sequence was filmed at the same time of day to maintain identical lighting conditions throughout production. The film opens and closes with Roy Orbison’s “In Dreams,” an artistic choice intended to signal the project’s departure from straightforward comedy.
Romero’s screenplay drew Ruiz Caldera to the project because it presented new creative challenges across multiple genres he favors. During production, the cast and director conducted extensive rehearsals and improvisational work during preparation, though actual takes maintained highly choreographed precision. The performances were designed to appear spontaneous despite the rigid structural framework. Ruiz Caldera explained that humor serves as a release valve for tension while also reflecting how characters might naturally respond to extreme situations through dark comedy.
The production was supported by Movistar Plus, El Terrat (part of The Mediapro Studio), and Ikiru Films, with Filmax handling domestic distribution in Spain and international sales. Romero emphasized the collaborative relationships built with these organizations over years of prior work, noting they granted complete creative freedom throughout development and production.
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