The Magical Elves of Uruguay
The Magical Elves of Uruguay
This short film by Sofia Jaglin Fort tells the story of a family in Canelones, Uruguay who have carved out a world entirely their own—as makers of small, hand-sculpted clay elves. Known locally as “The Elf,” Matías, alongside his partner Marcela and their son Matías Jr., brings to life a growing cast of whimsical characters, each with its own personality, expression, and story.
Together, they sculpt, paint, and sell their creations in the local market, turning imagination into livelihood and craft into family ritual. It’s a portrait of what happens when creativity becomes a shared language—when work, love, and artistry intertwine. At its heart, the film is about finding your niche, building something by hand, and choosing a life shaped by what you genuinely love to make.
Film Maker
Sofia Jaglin Fort
Uruguay
Sofía Jaglin Fort is a multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker born and based in Montevideo, Uruguay. Internationally published as an author and poet, her work explores what exists beyond the norm, and her filmmaking is grounded in her belief that cinema is a uniquely powerful medium for awakening layered emotional landscapes and hidden worlds. Drawn to the strange and the subtly unsettling, she finds beauty in what resists convention.
She has created audiovisual productions ranging from documentaries and music-based works to short films developed from her own fiction scripts, and is currently working on a new multidisciplinary project (IG: @ sicko.uy ).
Film Master
Elías, Marcela, and Matías
- Craft
- Elves
- Country
- Uruguay
Sabalás Artesanías is a family-run artisan project, made up of Elías (also known as “The Elf” or “The Witch”), his partner Marcela, and their son Matías. What began as a way for the family to stay close and support one another soon grew into a full lifestyle, bringing fantasy characters like witches, dragons, and elves alive through their craft.
Self-taught and deeply experimental, the family learned to produce their own cold porcelain clay, embracing years of trial and error to perfect its texture and strength.
Working without molds, each piece is entirely unique and handmade, ensuring that every creature is truly one of a kind.
Inspired by nature, recycling, and spiritual symbolism, their exaggerated and colorful figures often include gemstones and driftwood, and are “baptized” by sunlight and rain, being infused with the earth’s energy.
Sabalás’s pieces and art style are easily recognized amongst the community, with the family taking part in numerous artisan fairs, markets and events. A known regular at the vibrant Tristán Narvaja Fair in Montevideo.