The Barcelona Vampiress
The Barcelona Vampiress (Catalan: La vampira de Barcelona) is a 2020 Spanish historical thriller film directed by Lluís Danés which stars Nora Navas as the title character and Roger Casamajor alongside Bruna Cusí, Francesc Orella, Sergi López, Mario Gas, and Núria Prims. It is shot in Catalan.
| The Barcelona Vampiress | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Catalan | La vampira de Barcelona |
| Directed by | Lluís Danés |
| Screenplay by |
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| Produced by | Raimon Masllorens |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Josep Maria Civit |
| Music by | Alfred Tapscott |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Filmax |
Release dates |
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| Country | Spain |
| Language | Catalan |
Plot
Set in 1912 Barcelona, the plot concerns about the endeavours of morphine-addicted journalist Sebastià Comas to unravel the truth about the kidnappings and killings of children scapegoated by the police to Enriqueta Martí, nicknamed as the "Vampire of the Raval".[1]
Cast
- Roger Casamajor as Sebastià Comas[1]
- Nora Navas as Enriqueta Martí[1]
- Bruna Cusí as Amèlia[2]
- Francesc Orella as Salvat[1]
- Sergi López as policia Amorós[2]
- Mario Gas as Sr. Méndez[2]
- Núria Prims as Madame[2]
- Pablo Derqui as Fuster[2]
- Francesca Piñón as Sor Engracia[2]
Production
The screenplay was penned by Maria Jaén and Lluís A. Martínez.[3] The film is a Brutal Media and Filmax production, with the participation of TVC.[4]
Release
The film was presented at the 53rd Sitges Film Festival in October 2020.[5] Distributed by Filmax,[6] the film was theatrically released in Spain on 4 December 2020.
Reception
Javier Ocaña of El País deemed the film to be "an ambitious, sometimes grandiloquent work, which always comes to fruition with courage and singularity" when retelling the events of 1912, managing to portray a country's moral mysery.[7]
Toni Vall of Cinemanía rated the film 2½ out of 5 stars, pointing out that the cast was "uneven", featuring "a solvent but not brilliant [male] lead", with Danés otherwise rather pulling his best in the representation of the setting (El Raval).[8]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13th Gaudí Awards | Best Film | Won | [9] | |
| Best Director | Lluís Danés | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress | Nora Navas | Nominated | |||
| Best Production Supervision | David Masllorens i Silva | Nominated | |||
| Best Art Direction | Lluís Danés | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Bruna Cusí | Nominated | |||
| Núria Prims | Nominated | ||||
| Best Supporting Actor | Francesc Orella | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Music | Alfred Tapscott | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Josep M. Civit | Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Design | Mercè Paloma | Won | |||
| Best Sound | Daniela Fermín, Quique López, Carlos Jiménez | Nominated | |||
| Best Visual Effects | Lluís Rivera, Aleix Torrecillas, Anna Aragonès | Won | |||
| Best Makeup and Hairstyles | Laura Pérez, Xavi Valverde | Won | |||
See also
References
- Úbeda-Portugués, Alberto (1 December 2020). "Los estrenos del 4 de diciembre. 'La vampira de Barcelona'. Submundos de perversión". Aisge.
- "S'estrena el thriller d'època i coproducció de TV3 "La vampira de Barcelona"". Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals. 22 December 2021.
- ""La vampira de Barcelona" gana el premio Gaudí a la Mejor Película". EFE. 21 March 2021.
- Silvestre, Juan (22 March 2021). "Premios Gaudí 2021: todos los ganadores". Fotogramas.
- García, Julián (9 October 2020). "'La vampira de Barcelona': la verdad sobre la asesina de niños Enriqueta Martí". El Periódico de Catalunya.
- "'La Vampira de Barcelona' – estreno en cines 4 de diciembre". Audiovisual451. 4 December 2020.
- Ocaña, Javier (4 December 2020). "La miseria moral". El País.
- Vall, Toni (4 December 2020). "La vampira de Barcelona". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
- "Consulteu tots els guanyadors de la tretzena edició dels premis Gaudí". VilaWeb. 21 March 2021.