Film: Hell Troops
Director(s): Emilio Gallego and Jesús Gallego
Writer(s): Emilio Gallego and Jesús Gallego
Composer – Carla F. Benedicto
Synopsis: This is the story of the demon Exael, a soldier lost in the plains of purgatory. There, he meets the angel Temelchus, and the two begin a battle filled with deception, impossible weapons, absurd strategies, and defiant glances. Who will emerge victorious in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell?
In a new Exclusive interview on Blazing Minds ahead of the Southend Film Festival I got a chance to ask Co-Writer/Directors Emilio Gallego and Jesús Gallego a few questions about their film ‘Hell Troops’, which has been selected to play at the festival.
Hell Troops will be playing at the Southend Film Festival on Sunday, 8th June at 5 pm as part of the Short Films From Spain.
Q. Your film ‘Hell Troops’ has been selected to play at the Southend Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from the film?
A. Hell Troops is a short film that blends humour and action. We aim to highlight the absurdity of war through the eternal clash between Heaven and Hell. Viewers will meet two characters who cannot escape their own nature: a demon who wants to kill an angel, and an angel who wants to purify the demon’s soul. All of this is presented with a comedic tone to make it a fun and entertaining short.
Q. How did the idea for the film come about and what is your process for writing the film together?
A. The idea for Hell Troops came from a comic we created years ago, where Hell was portrayed in an everyday setting: demons worked as office clerks to maintain the bureaucracy of the underworld. That story also mentioned the eternal war they were fighting against angels, so we developed that
concept further to explore why that war would never end.
Q. What were some of the influences for the look and style of the film?
A. To enhance the absurdity of the situation, we chose a very naïve visual style that contrasts sharply with the characters’ actions. We used a clear colour palette: reds for the demon and blues for the angel. The backgrounds also differ significantly in shape and colour to create a unique universe. We didn’t follow a specific artistic influence for this short—creativity was allowed to flow freely.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments whilst making the film?
A. For us, the most enjoyable part is always pre-production—especially creating the storyboard and animatic, where we get to shape what we’ve been imagining in our heads.
Q. Did you experience any issues whilst making the film?
A. Animation production is always full of unexpected challenges. In this case, the biggest issue was finding a distinct identity for each character’s animation style. We went through a long research and testing phase until we finally found what we were looking for.
Q. What do you hope people will take away from the film?
A. Besides having a good time and catching a small tribute to the classic Chuck Jones cartoons for
Warner Bros.—like Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner—we hope the audience reflects on the absurdity of war.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are working on?
A. We’re currently working on a series pilot and a new 2D animated short for children. It follows the adventures of three travelling animals: a little monkey, a chick, and an elephant… completely unrelated to angels and demons!
Q. If someone is looking to get into filmmaking, what advice would you give them?
A. If you feel the urge to tell a story—whether through animation or live-action—you should go for it. Don’t wait to have all the right tools or think you’re not ready. What truly matters isn’t the final result, but the journey and everything you learn along the way.
You can find out more about Gallego Bros Animation on the following Website www.gallegobros.com and following social media: Instagram – Facebook – X
You can find out more about the festival and purchase tickets for Hell Troops here:
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
