Monthly meeting of the Arthouse Cinema group. If the group is restarted as hoped, our October film will be the 2006 Spanish dark fantasy film Pan's Labyrinth (El laberinto del fauno) written, directed and co-produced by Guillermo del Toro and starring Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Doug Jones, andAriadna Gil.

The story takes place in Francoist Spain in the summer of 1944. The narrative intertwines this real world with a mythical world centered on an overgrown, abandoned labyrinth and a mysterious faun with whom the protagonist, Ofelia, interacts. Ofelia's stepfather, Captain Vidal, hunts down the Spanish Maquis who resist the Francoist regime, while Ofelia's pregnant mother grows increasingly ill. Ofelia meets several strange and magical creatures who become central to her story, leading her through the trials of the old labyrinth garden.

Pan's Labyrinth received a 22-minute-long standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival - the longest in the festival's history. It has won numerous awards, including three Academy Awards and three BAFTA Awards, and has since been considered one of the best fantasy films ever made.

Running time 1 hour 59 minutes.