El orfanato (2007)

Director:

Juan Antonio Bayona

Writer:

Sergio G. Sánchez (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 January 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | 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 | Boy | Adopted Son | Orphan

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 (as Fernando Marriot)
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	....	executive 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
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 Francolí	....	set designer
Carlos Grané	....	props (uncredited)
Guy Pérez	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jordi Bosch	....	sound effects editor
Juan Carlos Cid	....	sound consultant: DTS
Manel López	....	boom operator (dailies)
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
Eduardo Bonilla	....	gaffer
Albert Carreras	....	camera operator
Francesc Carreras	....	first assistant camera
Beatriz Delgado	....	assistant camera
Llúcia Faraig	....	still photographer
Javier González Leonardo	....	key grip
Juan Carlos Gorriz	....	first assistant camera
Javier Guerrero	....	electrician
José Manuel Herrero	....	underwater camera operator
Gris Jordana	....	second unit: camera assistant
Roger Martínez	....	additional first assistant camera
Pablo Montesinos	....	video assist
Ferran Rial	....	still photographer
Bet Rourich	....	cinematographer: second unit
Ramón Sánchez	....	steadicam
Debora Witte	....	electrician

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
Marta Ramírez	....	post-production coordinator
Laura Sanchez	....	digital intermediate editor
Marga Villalonga	....	digital intermediate coordinator
Javier Ugarte	....	post-production coordinator (uncredited)

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

Other crew
Glòria Blanes	....	script supervisor
Núria Costa	....	press
Raúl Díaz	....	production assistant
Goyo Gamez	....	first production assistant
Laura Jou	....	child acting coach
Rubén Lardín	....	script supervisor
Kike Maíllo	....	script supervisor
George Nicholis	....	film publicist
Jaime Ortiz de Artiñano	....	business affairs
Trini Solano	....	press
Sergio G. Sánchez	....	making-of
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)
• Christal Films (2008) (Canada) (DVD)
• Kino Swiat (2008) (Poland) (all media)
• Luxor Entertainment (2008) (Russia) (all media)
• New Line Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Odeon (2008) (Greece) (DVD)
• Quality Films (2007) (Mexico) (all media)
• Senator Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Senator Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Efe-X

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" - International (English title) (imdb display title), UK, USA
"L'orfenat" - Spain (Catalan title) (TV title)
"Barnhemmet" - Finland (Swedish title), Sweden
"O Orfanato" - Brazil, Portugal (imdb display title)
"Приют" - Russia
"Árvaház" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Børnehjemmet" - Denmark
"Das Waisenhaus" - Germany
"L'orphelinat" - France
"Orbudekodu" - Estonia (imdb display title)
"Orpokoti" - Finland
"Sierociniec" - Poland
"Sirotcinec" - Czech Republic
"Sirotinec" - Slovakia
"Sirotiste" - Croatia
"The Orphanage" - Italy
"The Orphanage" - Norway (imdb display title)
"To orfanotrofeio" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Yetimhane" - Turkey (Turkish title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some disturbing content

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

Spain | Mexico

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 Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | 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:

'Belen Rueda' was Juan Antonio Bayona's first choice for the lead from the start. This was mainly after seeing her performance in Alejandro Amenábar's Mar adentro (2004/I).

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Laura is watching the old films, when we see one of the shots of Tomas, his eye hole is on the wrong side. In the next shot, it is on the right side again.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Spanish Movie (2009)

A satisfying thriller on one hand; an equally rich emotional journey on the other

I went into a screening of this today knowing only that it was about a woman who buys the home she lived in as an orphaned child, planning to open it to other orphans, that it mixed fantasy and reality, and that Guillermo del Toro of 'Pan's Labyrinth' had a hand in it. I didn't have any expectations. Even if I did, I certainly not have expected what I got. 'El Orfanato' surprised me first in successfully thrilling me with its surface, and surprised me again in how deeply it moved me with its core.

When Laura (the marvelous Belén Rueda) moves back into the house that used to be the orphanage she lived in as a girl, she is thirty-seven, married, and she and her husband have adopted a son - Simón, a little boy with HIV who doesn't know that he's terminally ill or adopted. Simón is wildly creative - he has several imaginary friends and a penchant for treasure hunts, mind games, and the story of Peter Pan. One day shortly after a mysterious visit from a social worker and Simón's revelation that he knows the truth about his adoption and illness, Simón disappears. The rest of the film follows Laura's desperate search for her son as she comes to terms with her loss and her own past as well.

Screenwriter Sergio G. Sánchez does a masterful job of balancing the thriller with the drama. Laura's attempts to connect with everything that haunts her and her home are darkly touching, though slightly psychologically twisted. The acting is strong, and the directing, editing, cinematography, and music all work together well. Some of the sound effects - the constant creaking, wind blowing, etc. - got wearisome as the film went on, and some of the thrills were a little cheap - I won't ruin it for anyone by revealing them - though, admittedly, they were effective all the same. The story dragged a little towards the end and during the scene with the medium - cutting it just a little shorter might have been equally as effective and easier on the viewer.

Bottom line: even if you don't like "scary" movies (like me), you'll probably still appreciate and enjoy the more thrilling aspects. If you're a horror flick buff, you'll probably find some of the thriller elements a little tired and overdone. Either way, it's still worth seeing - the exploration of Laura's heart and mind are both lovely and tragic to behold, and though the film is morbid, it is beautiful as well.