The Barcelona Vampiress

"Based on the terrifying true story that shook the city to its core in the early 1900s"

2020 1h 46m CA

😐

5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 44

DramaHistoryThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Barcelona, Spain, 1912. The disappearance of a girl from a wealthy family triggers a series of events that will shake the weak foundations of a hypocritical society.

“Based on the terrifying true story that shook the city to its core in the early 1900s”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Roger Casamajor
Sebastià Comas
Nora Navas
Enriqueta Martí
Bruna Cusí
Amèlia
Sergi López
Police Commisioner Amorós
Núria Prims
Madame Leonor
Francesc Orella
Salvat
Lola Darbra
Teresita
Queralt Cruz
Angelita

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Lluís Danés
Writers: María Jaén, Lluís Arcarazo
Languages: Catalan, Spanish
Countries: Spain

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 6 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Catalan, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Lluís Danés, shot by Josep M. Civit. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Alfred Tapscott. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Dani Arregui shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Roger Casamajor and Nora Navas and Bruna Cusí carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Based on the terrifying true story that shook the city to its core in the early 1900s".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt10873438 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Lluís Danés directs. Josep M. Civit behind the camera. Alfred Tapscott scores. Dani Arregui cuts. Produced in Spain. Dialogue in Catalan, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 6 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Catalan, Spanish.
3Directed by Lluís Danés, shot by Josep M. Civit. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Alfred Tapscott. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Dani Arregui shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Roger Casamajor and Nora Navas and Bruna Cusí carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Based on the terrifying true story that shook the city to its core in the early 1900s".
8IMDB entry: tt10873438 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 44 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 16 themes, including "journalist", "child abuse", "barcelona, spain", "drug addiction".

The technical file

Cinematography: Josep M. Civit
Original score: Alfred Tapscott
Editing: Dani Arregui
Makeup / hair: Xavi Valverde
Stunt coordinator: Javier Cornelio
Runtime: 106 min · 1h 46m
Status: Released
Original language: CA
Certification (US): 18
IMDB: The Barcelona Vampiress (2020)

Awards

prix du Jury 5 Continents
Gaudí Award for Best Film in Catalan Language

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Lluís Danés

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

MovieGuys2022-09-19
★ 5/10
The Barcelona Vampiress, is a Spanish Gothic horror/crime thriller. Presented in a highly stylised form, in black and white, this film delves into the crimes attributed to convicted Spanish child serial killer, procuress, madam and prostitute, Enriqueta Martí i Ripollés, in the early 20th century. Essentially, it takes the side of historical researchers who doubt the guilt of Marti, who was dubbed by the press at the time, "The Vampire of Barcelona". Whether Marti was guilty or not, is hard to know but as we have seen in recent years, women have played an integral part in the despicable procurement of children and the young, for prostitution. What this film does do well, is look at the wider picture, the clients who exploited children for their own dark appetites and went unpunished. The proud, the sanctimonious and the powerful, who hide their crimes behind a veneer of respectability. Its a slow watch and at times, unsurprisingly, a disturbing one too. Acting is excellent and helps alleviate the lethargy that I found setting in. This film needed more, to my mind, perhaps it would have been better to remain neutral and explore both sides of this grim tale. In summary, this is a watch for the very patient viewer. Its a slow burn but does have merit. I did feel it could have made more with the material on offer, which would, I believe, have made this film a more compelling experience.

Production companies