Director Ingride Santos’s debut feature-length film, `Ruido´, with which she is competing in the Official Competition of the Festival de Málaga, was screened for the first time on Thursday, 20 March, a film that offers a frank and honest portrait of Barcelona’s urban reality. Through freestyle, the film addresses issues such as being uprooted and the search for identity from the epicentre of urban music in Spain.
 
Santos began exploring the universe of trap when she directed 'Beef', nominated for best short film at the 2021 Goya Awards. It was then that she discovered the cockfights in Sants, where between 200 and 300 young people gather every weekend. Right from the start she felt that this had to be shown in a film, she revealed at a press conference at the Festival de Málaga, together with actresses Latifa Drame, Judith Álvarez and Asaari Bibang.  From there, she began her four-year documentation process, during which she researched freestyle culture and the urban music scene.
 
It is a Spanish and Mexican co-production whose plot centres around battles featuring real rappers, such as Faenna from Malaga, who is also part of the cast. For Santos, her film takes on a metaphorical meaning because she believes that “life itself is just another battle". Santos witnessed numerous cockfights first hand, with the aim of depicting through real-life situations a group of young people capable of reflecting on the issues that concern society through music.
 
For her part, actress, comedian and writer Asaari Bibang said that her role is nothing like anything she has done before in her professional career. In this respect, she said "that this work has helped her to get out of the pigeonhole she felt she was in after 14 years without making films". And she explained "that she plays a character free of prejudices, racial baggage, or any kind of preconceived ideas.". For Santos, her characters represent the empowerment of women, their ongoing struggle and the challenges they face in the relentless pursuit of equality.
 
Bibang is joined by co-stars Latifa Drame and Judith Alvarez Vargas, who were selected after casting interviews with over 100 rappers and battle organisers. The main character, Lati, takes refuge in rap music following the death of her father. Two years later, she dreams of making it in the world of freestyle battles. However, her mother, a strict woman, won’t tolerate this, considering it dangerous and vulgar. Lati trains undercover with Judy, a former freestyle star who will help her face her own limits, discovering that the real battle is not only on stage, but also iwithin her.