Pan’s Labyrinth at 20: a powerful, symbolic tribute to Spanish resilience in the face of fascism

By Keith McDonald, Senior Lecturer Film Studies and Media, York St John University

This autumn marks the 20th anniversary of Pan’s Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro’s elaborate and deeply sorrowful film about a young girl caught between two dangerous worlds in rural Spain in 1944.

The film tells the story of Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), who finds herself shifting between the “real” above-ground world half a decade after the end of the Spanish civil war, and an underground “fantasy” realm where ancient forces recognise her as a lost princess.

It is a perennially relevant tale…

Read complete article

~	What is Sharia law, and why is it so controversial in the United States?

~	Pan’s Labyrinth at 20: how Guillermo del Toro created his timeless dark fairy tale

~	England needs 120% of normal rainfall to come out of drought this winter – storms won’t fix that yet

~	What brain scans can reveal, and why they don’t always explain symptoms

~	Grattan on Friday: an embattled government tells Australians the pain they feel won’t end any time soon

~	King Charles’ visit to the Caribbean evokes specter of British slavery – and local demands for justice

~	US: New Hurdles to Having Votes Counted

~	Israel election by the numbers: who might form the next government?

~	Unlike anything I’ve seen: why this whale season has marine scientists puzzled

~	Grok can launch a thousand ships – but this AI remake of the Odyssey can’t make us feel