Films:
Tue 27 8.30pm The Courtyard Hereford
Wed 28 8.30pm The Courtyard Hereford
Fri 30 8.00pm Presteigne Assembly Rooms
Pan's Labyrinth (15)
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Starring: Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez,
Maribel Verdu, Ariadna Gil
Spain, 2005, 2 hours, subtitles
Spain, 1944 and the Civil War rumbles on. Young Ofelia is taken by her ailing, pregnant mother to live with sadistic Captain Vidal, who is in charge of the fascist troops engaged in mopping up the last of the anti-Franco guerrillas hiding in the woods. There she is drawn into a threatening, magical world where she discovers her own power and learns how to cope with the even darker secrets of the adult world. Fortunately it is the 'reality' scenes that take precedence as Del Toro develops a tragic, satisfying tale of brutality and betrayal. Superbly written, filmed and played, this is not just the work of a skilled director mining a rich vein in fantasy/horror but that of a visionary artist at the height of his considerable powers.
Nominated for 6 Oscars including Best Foreign Language Film
"Dark, twisted and beautiful...Del Toro's masterpiece" ***** Empire