Inspired by his own struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the Portuguese animator and filmmaker João Gonzalez’s Nestor follows a man living alone on a houseboat, trying to maintain order amid the restless currents and shifting tides of the sea. With a minimal yet striking colour palette, the film depicts Nestor performing his daily rituals with obsessive precision, as a storm gathers on the horizon. The imagery reflects his alternating states of panic and calm, while the rhythmic editing and layered sound design heighten the sense of instability, building an almost claustrophobic tension that mirrors the intensity of OCD itself.
As the boundaries between Nestor’s inner and outer worlds blur, the approaching tempest becomes a reflection of his inner turmoil. Through its visual style and emotional urgency, Nestor immerses viewers in a deeply sensorial exploration of OCD – evoking a moment when control and chaos become indistinguishable.
