Gael has built his life trying not to become like his father, a man he learned to hate as a child. Responsible, decent, and always willing to take care of those he loves, he believes he knows where right and wrong lie. But when his sister’s addiction and his mother’s financial hardship threaten to tear his family apart, Gael makes a desperate decision: he buys an occupied house.
Inside lives Raimundo, an elderly man who refuses to leave the last refuge he has left. What begins as a solution turns into a moral struggle in which neither of them can afford to lose.
This project is born from an uncomfortable question: how far are we willing to go when we believe we are doing the right thing?
Inspired by real events, the story avoids clear heroes and villains, focusing instead on relatable characters trapped in a conflict where every decision has consequences for someone else. Gael and Raimundo do not represent good and evil, but rather two opposing needs.
From a directorial perspective, we aim for a style rooted in realism: a restrained, intimate, and understated approach that allows the audience to feel they are witnessing a plausible, everyday, and deeply human situation. The camera stays close to the characters without judging them, allowing their actions, silences, and contradictions to generate the tension.
OKUPA has been conceived from its earliest stages of development to connect with contemporary audiences and respond to evolving audiovisual consumption habits. The project is presented as a two-part miniseries, an innovative format that combines the narrative strength and cinematic quality of a feature film with the accessibility and audience engagement potential of a television series.
This structure allows for a flexible viewing experience: audiences can enjoy the story as a single, continuous narrative event or watch it across two separate sessions, while preserving its pacing, dramatic tension, and the satisfaction of a complete story.
Designed with streaming platforms in mind, OKUPA offers an attractive format for both domestic and international markets, aligning with current viewing trends and carrying a clear ambition to reach a broad audience. Its approach encourages sustained viewer engagement, increasing its potential reach, visibility, and overall impact.
Manhal Aziz laid the foundation of his career with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism in Syria, his home country, ultimately becoming a Doctor in Communication at the University of Alicante, supported by a Master’s in Communication and Creative Industries and a Cinematography course taught at Ciudad de la Luz.
His professional experience spans 8 years. From 2016 to 2019, he participated in Nubo Films as a Screenwriter and Filmmaker, and from 2019 to the present, he has been developing projects at B. Movie Projects as a screenwriter, filmmaker, and director.