Films to Keep You Awake: Spectre (2006) (TV) Películas para no dormir: Regreso a Moira (original title)

Director:

Mateo Gil

Writers:

Mateo Gil
Igor Legarreta

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery

Plot:

Cast

Juan José Ballesta	...	Tomás (young)
Natalia Millán	...	Moira
Jordi Dauder	...	Tomás
Victoria Mora	...	Carmen
David Arnaiz	...	Carlos (young)
Adrián Marín	...	Vicente (joven)
José Ángel Egido	...	Carlos
Miguel Rellán	...	Vicente
Mayte Cedeño	...	Fantasma
Joserra Cadiñanos	...	Don Anselmo
Walter Prieto	...	Ramón
Elisa Medina	...	Mujer 1
Helena Castañeda	...	Mujer 2
Elsa Bodem	...	Greta
Juan Aballe	...	Voz Marc (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joe Lewis	...	Tomas (voice)
Alejandro Amenábar	...	Man looking at statue (uncredited)

Directed by
Mateo Gil

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mateo Gil
Igor Legarreta

Produced by
Álvaro Augustín	....	producer
Carlos Fernández	....	executive producer
Julio Fernández	....	producer
Santiago Gimeno	....	executive producer
Félix Rodríguez	....	supervising producer

Original Music by
Zacarías M. de la Riva

Cinematography by
Josu Inchaustegui

Film Editing by
Carlos Agulló
Mateo Gil

Casting by
Pep Armengol

Art Direction by
Félix Murcia

Costume Design by
Clara Bilbao

Makeup Department
Belén López Puigcerver	....	makeup artist

Art Department
Javier López Antía	....	property master

Sound Department
Juan Ferro	....	boom operator
María Steinberg	....	sound editor
Ricardo Steinberg	....	sound

Special Effects by
Tomás Gómez	....	special effects makeup: Artefacto Escenografia crew

Visual Effects by
Ivan Busquets	....	digital compositor
Quico Noizeux	....	digital compositor
Sandra Picher	....	visual effects coordinator
Joan Carles Vendrell	....	CG artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Peque Griffin	....	steadicam operator
Ramiro Sabell hijo	....	first assistant camera
Federico Staffa	....	clapper loader

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ana Requena	....	assistant costume designer
Maite Rod	....	costume design assistant

Editorial Department
Laura Sanchez	....	film scanner

Music Department
Lucio Godoy	....	music producer
Juan Pablo González Saccone	....	assistant music engineer (as PJ Saccone)

Other crew
Vicente Canales	....	head of sales
Pedro José de la Fuente García	....	production assistant
Rafael López de la Manzanara Cuadri	....	location manager
Helena Moreno Núñez	....	development executive
Anna Oms	....	documentation
Martin Samper	....	making-of
Elena Serra	....	development executive

Production Companies

• Estudios Picasso
• Filmax
• Telecinco
• Castelao Producciones (as Castelao Productions)

Distributors

• Telecinco (2006) (Spain) (TV)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2009) (UK) (TV) (BBC2)
• Lionsgate (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• P.F.A. Films (2006) (Italy) (all media)
• Paris Filmes (2008) (Brazil) (DVD)
• e-m-s the DVD-Company (2006) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Películas para no dormir: Regreso a Moira" - Spain (original title)

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Germany:16 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Spain

Company:

Estudios Picasso

Beautiful and moving slow burn Spanish creeper

This was my first experience of the series of Spanish TV horror films collectively entitled 8 Films To Keep You Awake, and I was really somewhat surprised by how much it struck me, how affecting I found it. It tells of an old man, Tomas who is sent a Tarot card and returns to his childhood town in order to see who sent it, remembering as he does so his teenage romance with a lonely lady who he befriended. Thought the film at first gives the impression that it is due to be more spooky, as it goes on it moves away from horror territory, it is more a slow burning and poignant look at young love, its consequences and the passage of time, it has supernatural accoutrements but the film is mostly drama and it does remarkably well in its small run time. Writer/director Mateo Gil spins a compelling tale rich in hot, languid atmosphere, the flashbacks that take up much of the film hum with a sad, nostalgic longing but the modern day scenes have a contrasting adept chill. The performances all come off nicely, Juan José Ballesta has the appropriate shades of lust, curiosity and naiveté as young Tomas while Jordi Dauder is drawn and tired as his older self. Natalia Millán is very fine as the lonely and beautiful Moira, sensual, mysterious and kindly, mixing attraction and inscrutability very well. Decent performances come too from David Arnaiz and Adrián Marín as friends of young Tomas, and slightly frayed, colder turns from José Ángel Egido and Miguel Rellán as their older counterparts. The film is a little predictable and its scope is slight, but I found myself unusually moved, its quiet chills, and classic story combined with beautiful presentation and ever useful messages (against jealousy, superstition and mob mentality) make for a thoroughly classy and enthralling time. Well recommended for those who enjoy MR James style horror or creepy drama fare, though fans of fast paces and boo scares should avoid.