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Pan's Labyrinth (El laberinto del fauno)

Modern Masters

Guillermo del Toro / Feature Narrative / Mexico, Spain, United States of America / 2006
In Spanish / Arabic, English subtitles
Interests: Drama, War, Fantasy
No Premiere
Rated: Parental guidance advised for viewers under the age of 15. Individuals under the age of 15 are not admitted into cinemas unless accompanied by an individual aged 18 or over.

Synopsis

A dark, twisted and beautiful adventure, ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ seamlessly blends the real and supernatural in a visually stunning fantasy about Falangist Spain. Young Ofelia travels with her mother to the home of her new stepfather, the cruel and ruthless Captain Vidal, who is engaged in an ongoing battle with local rebels. Ofelia becomes intrigued by a stick insect, which she is convinced is magical. And indeed, while she tries to get used to her new home, the insect turns into a fairy, who leads her to an abandoned labyrinth. There she meets a faun who sets her on a path to saving herself and her ailing mother.

As Ofelia moves between the magical world of the labyrinth and the brutal conflict of her home, the film is wonderfully ambiguous as to whether the labyrinth is merely a product of her overactive imagination. Ofelia is a lover of fairy tales, and it is her firm belief in the enchanted realm that provides ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ with its enduring charm. The Academy-award winning production design of Eugenio Caballero is exquisite, no small feat considering the complex and often layered interplay between the worlds—and an achievement that many production designers cite today as a benchmark of creative film design.

About the Director

Guillermo del Toro was born in Guadalajara in 1964. His work shows a marked penchant for dark fantasy, and is best known for the Academy Award-winning fantasy films 'Pan's Labyrinth' (2006) and 'The Shape of Water' (2017), winning the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best Picture for the latter.

Credits

Director

Guillermo del Toro

Screenwriter

Guillermo del Toro

Producer

Guillermo del Toro, Bertha Navarro, Alfonso Cuarón, Frida Torresblanco, Alvaro Augustin

Editor

Bernat Vilaplana

Production Designer

Eugenio Caballero

Music

Javier Navarrete

Cinematographer

Guillermo Navarro

Cast

Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones

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