Labyrinth Fauna

Golden Frog at IFF Camerimage 2006 Nominated for the 2007 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film Academy Awards 2007: Best Cinematography - Guillermo Navarro, Best Set Design, Best Feature Film British Film Award, BAFTA: Best Foreign Language Film

Labyrinth of the Fauna is a dark fairy tale for adults, combining fantastic adventure with horror and poignant drama about life under the rule of fascists.

Spain, 1944 year. Ophelia lives with her mother with her new stepfather, Captain Vidal. This cruel army officer Franco demands ruthless obedience, and the girl feels more and more lonely in his house. Nearby, he discovers an old labyrinth, where he meets a mysterious fauna. The creature claims that Ophelia is the lost princess of the magical kingdom. To return to it, he must pass three attempts. For a girl, this is a chance to escape adult violence and find a place where she really belongs. He takes up the challenge, not yet knowing how dangerous the tasks of the fauna will prove to be and whether he can trust his promises.

Guillermo del Toro restores fairy tales to their original cruelty: magical beings have their own intentions, attempts require sacrifices, and disobedience can cost dearly. The encounter with the Pale Man, a monster with eyes in his hands, remains one of the most memorable nightmares of modern cinema. Equally frightening, however, is the calm with which Vidal harms others. Among unusual creatures, underground chambers and brutal violence, the story of a child unfolds, who must decide for himself who to trust. This is a cinema that amazes with the imagination, sparing neither the heroes nor the spectators.