El orfanato (2007)

Director:

Juan Antonio Bayona

Writer:

Sergio G. Sánchez (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 January 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Un cuento de amor. Una historia de terror (A tale of love. A story of horror)

Plot:

A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, where she opens an orphanage for handicapped children. Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend.

Plot Keywords:

Orphanage | Children | Hiv Positive | Hiv | Adopted Son

Awards:

31 wins & 34 nominations

Cast

Belén Rueda	...	Laura
Fernando Cayo	...	Carlos
Roger Príncep	...	Simón
Mabel Rivera	...	Pilar
Montserrat Carulla	...	Benigna
Andrés Gertrúdix	...	Enrique
Edgar Vivar	...	Prof. Leo Bálaban
Óscar Casas	...	Tomás
Mireia Renau	...	Laura niña
Georgina Avellaneda	...	Rita
Carla Gordillo	...	Martín
Alejandro Camps	...	Víctor
Carmen López	...	Alicia
Óscar Lara	...	Guillermo
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Aurora
Enric Arquimbau	...	Jefe Grupo Terapia
Blanca Martínez	...	Mujer Grupo Terapia
Carol Suárez	...	Benigna joven
Isabel Friera	...	Antonia cuidadora
Fernando Marrot	...	Doctor
Jordi Cardus	...	Niño ciego (as Jordi Cardús)
Pedro Morales	...	Padre 2

Directed by
Juan Antonio Bayona		(as J.A. Bayona)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sergio G. Sánchez		screenplay

Produced by
Belén Atienza	....	line producer
Álvaro Augustín	....	producer
Sandra Hermida	....	line producer
Elena Manrique	....	line producer
Joaquín Padró	....	producer
Mar Targarona	....	producer
Guillermo del Toro	....	producer

Original Music by
Fernando Velázquez

Cinematography by
Óscar Faura

Film Editing by
Elena Ruiz

Casting by
Geli Albaladejo

Production Design by
Josep Rosell

Art Direction by
Iñigo Navarro

Set Decoration by
Iñigo Navarro

Costume Design by
Maria Reyes

Makeup Department
Itziar Arrieta	....	hair stylist
Lola López	....	makeup artist
David Martí	....	special makeup effects artist
Montse Ribé	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Sandra Hermida	....	production manager
Asen Kanchev	....	music production manager
Marta Sánchez	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mònica Farrés	....	third assistant director
Menna Fité	....	first assistant director
Rodrigo Lamoso	....	third assistant director
Itati Moyano	....	second assistant director
Manuel Pérez	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Pau Albin	....	set dresser
Sol Caramilloni	....	set dresser
Paula de la Fuente	....	set designer
Blanca Francoli	....	set designer

Sound Department
Jordi Bosch	....	sound effects editor
Juan Carlos Cid	....	sound consultant: DTS
Virgilio Martínez	....	mixing assistant
Xavier Mas	....	dialogue editor (as Xavi Mas)
Xavier Mas	....	sound recordist (as Xavi Mas)
Yvonne Miralles	....	recording operator
Marc Orts	....	sound mixer
Jaime Puig	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Filippo Restelli	....	boom operator
Jordi Ribas	....	sound edit assistant (as Jordi Riba)
Oriol Tarragó	....	sound designer
Oriol Tarragó	....	sound post-production supervisor
Edgar Vidal	....	sound effects designer
Kiku Vidal	....	sound effects technician

Special Effects by
Xavi Bastida	....	special effects makeup
Lluís Castells	....	special effects
Anthony S. Ciccarelli	....	special effects technician
Pau Costa	....	special effects technician
Ismael Ferrer	....	special effects makeup
Raquel Guirro	....	special effects makeup
Javier Jal	....	special effects technician
Enric Masip	....	special effects technician
Jordi Morera	....	special effects makeup: DDT SFX
Joan Mosull	....	special effects technician
Pablo Perona Navarro	....	special effects makeup (as Pablo Perona)
Josep Olivé	....	special effects technician
Juan Serrano	....	special effects makeup

Visual Effects by
Jesús Luque	....	visual effects
Quico Noizeux	....	digital compositor
Sandra Picher	....	visual effects coordinator
Lucas Pigliacampo	....	digital artist
Lucas Pigliacampo	....	digital compositor
Jordi San Agustín	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Marina de Mendialdúa	....	stunts
Laura Dursi	....	stunt double
Marian Elshove	....	stunts
Desirée Guirao	....	stunt double
Antonio Higueruelo	....	stunt coordinator
Juan Antonio López	....	stunts
Sergio G. Sánchez	....	stunt double
Marta Vilajoana	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Albert Carreras	....	camera operator
Francesc Carreras	....	first assistant camera
Beatriz Delgado	....	assistant camera
Juan Carlos Gorriz	....	first assistant camera
Gonzalez Leonardo Javier	....	key grip
Roger Martínez	....	additional first assistant camera
Pablo Montesinos	....	video assist
Ferran Rial	....	still photographer
Bet Rourich	....	cinematographer: second unit

Casting Department
Cristina Baeza	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Adolfo Domínguez	....	wardrobe: Fernando Cayo
Desirée Guirao	....	costume assistant
Aurora Pedredo	....	tailor

Editorial Department
Quique Cañadas	....	digital intermediate colorist
Guillermo De La Cal	....	first assistant editor
Jorge Ortiz Yus	....	colorist: dailies
Laura Sanchez	....	digital intermediate editor
Marga Villalonga	....	digital intermediate coordinator
Javier Ugarte	....	post-production coordinator (uncredited)

Music Department
Félix Divar	....	musician: percussion
Juan Antonio Ros	....	music producer (as Juanan Ros)

Other crew
Glòria Blanes	....	script supervisor
Núria Costa	....	press
Goyo Gamez	....	first production assistant
Laura Jou	....	child acting coach
Kike Maíllo	....	script supervisor
George Nicholis	....	film publicist
Jaime Ortiz de Artiñano	....	business affairs
Sergio G. Sánchez	....	making-of
Trini Solano	....	press
Francesc Talavera	....	making-of
Sonia Uría	....	press

Thanks
Dolors Arena	....	thanks
Inés Barber	....	thanks
Ángeles Blanco	....	thanks
Christian Moyès	....	thanks
Maribel Robles	....	thanks
Juanjo Sáez	....	thanks
Pere Torrebadella	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Esta Vivo! Laboratorio de Nuevos Talentos
• Grupo Rodar
• Rodar y Rodar Cine y Televisión
• Telecinco Cinema
• Telecinco
• Televisió de Catalunya (TV3)
• Warner Bros. Pictures de España
• Wild Bunch

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (2007) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Cinema Mondo (2007) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Picturehouse Entertainment (2007) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• A-Film Distribution (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• CDI Films (2008) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Cinequanon (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Frenetic Films (2008) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Rosebud (2007) (Greece) (theatrical)
• SPI International (2008) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• SPI International (2008) (Slovakia) (theatrical)
• Senator Film (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• California Filmes (2008) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Christal Films (2007) (Canada) (all media)
• Kino Swiat (2008) (Poland) (all media)
• Luxor Entertainment (2008) (Russia) (all media)
• Odeon (2008) (Greece) (DVD)
• Quality Films (2007) (Mexico) (all media)
• Senator Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Senator Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Other Companies

• Mi Casa Multimedia  BD/DVD audio mastering 5.1, 7.1
• ASG Cine y Figuracion  extras casting
• Marcella C. Public Relations  DVD publicity
• SIF309 Film & Music Productions  film score recording

Also Known As:

The Orphanage (UK) (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for some disturbing content.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

Mexico | Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R | Canada:18A | Spain:13 | Finland:K-13 | Singapore:PG | Germany:12 | South Korea:15 | Ireland:15A | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Brazil:14 | Denmark:11 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Taiwan:R-12 | Argentina:13 | Netherlands:16 | Chile:Y7 | Malaysia:18PL | UK:15 | Portugal:M/12 | New Zealand:R13 | Australia:MA | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | Czech Republic:12 | France:-12

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Esta Vivo! Laboratorio de Nuevos Talentos

Trivia:

Spain's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Pilar describes the old cine film that Laura views as 8mm, but when we see the projector, the film is actually 16mm.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2008-01-05)" (2008)

Wonderfully crafted ghost story.

Laura returns with her family to the orphanage she grew up in as a child, she reopens it for handicapped children and all is going to plan until her son starts communicating with an invisible friend.......

Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona & produced by Guillermo del Toro, this Spanish picture is a delightful antidote to the ream of gore for gore sake movies flooding the market on a seemingly daily basis. This is not a horror movie as such, this is one of those pictures that oozes old fashioned values as regards telling a grand old ghost story with mysterious undertones. The setting is perfect, the orphanage of the piece is a ghostly monolithic structure that has all those perfectly shadowy rooms that are hiding secrets, expansive gardens perfectly framed in aura by Bayona's willingness to let the setting be an integral part of the story. The story is a creepy one, and there is always an added air of unease when children are the focal point of the piece in question, and sure enough this central concept of troubled children and troubled childhoods gets the maximum amount of emotion from the viewing public.

It's hard to write anymore than I have without delving deeper into the story and it's significant turn of events, suffice to say I feel this is a wonderful creepy, and at times beautiful, film that prospective viewers would be better off going into devoid of any prior knowledge. Belén Rueda plays Laura and it's a marvellous performance from her, full of emotion and guts, she carries the film with skillful ease. Bayona directs carefully, and it's evident that he is benefiting from the guiding hands of his gifted producer, but his marker is here and I'll be keeping an eye out for future efforts from the young Spaniard.

A smashingly engaging film that is in the vein of Robert Wise's The Haunting & Alejandro Amenábar's The Others, so if you like real well told ghost stories that unhinge rather than shock you, get in the queue because Orfanato, El, is a real pleasure. 9/10