Even the Wind Is afraid (1968)

Girls that were punished to sat at a boarding school during Spring Break have no idea the school is haunted by the restless spirit of a former student seeking revenge.

Director:

Carlos Enrique Taboada

Writer:

Carlos Enrique Taboada (screenplay)

Stars:

Marga López, Maricruz Olivier, Alicia Bonet

Cast

Cast overview:
Marga López	...	Bernarda
Maricruz Olivier	...	Lucía
Alicia Bonet	...	Claudia
Norma Lazareno	...	Kitty
Renata Seydel	...	Ivette
Elizabeth Dupeyrón	...	Josefina
Rita Sabre Marroquín	...	Liliana
Irma Castillón	...	Marina
Rafael Llamas	...	Diego
Sadi Dupeyrón	...	Armando (as Saidi Dupeyron)
Pamela Susan Hall	...	Andrea, the ghost
Enrique García Álvarez	...	Doctor Oliver (as Enrique Garcia)
Lourdes Baledón	...	Verónica

Storyline

Claudia is a young girl who's suffering from horrible and terrifying nightmares at her all girl boarding school. They involve the voice of a mysterious girl calling her name at all hours of the night. When Claudia and her friends break the rules by trespassing a tower that was forbidden to go into, the harsh Head Mistress, Miss Bernarda punishes them by making them stay at the school during Spring Break. Miss Lucia, a good teacher feels the punishment has been too severe since a similar incident happened 5 years before when a student received the same punishment with horrendous and tragic consequences, and she is afraid it might happen again. But the tragedy from 5 years ago will reap the consequences now, as a tormented and restless spirit will enact her revenge.

---

Plot Keywords:

haunted house | revenge | boarding school | voice | mexican horror | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

---

Details

Country:

Mexico

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

30 May 1968 (Mexico)

Also Known As:

Even the Wind Is afraid

Filming Locations:

Churubusco Studios, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tauro Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA High Fidelity)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Lucía: You don't seem very surprised...
Diego: Oh, no... How could the poor girl be a ghost? So pretty and with such sad eyes...
Lucía: Have you seen her?
Diego: Yes... haven't you, ma'am?
Lucía: How could I? She's dead!

---

Connections

Version of The Devil's Backbone (2001)

---

Soundtracks

Blues Jazz
Written by Armando Manzanero

User Reviews

Deliciously creepy Mexican horror flick!

While not as prolific as the USA, UK and Italy; Mexico is responsible for many great horror films; with the sixties in particular being something of a goldmine for the horror fan. Carlos Enrique Taboada's Hasta el viento tiene miedo has a great reputation amongst those who have seen it; and after having finally tracked the film down myself, I have to say that its reputation is completely deserved! The title translates into English as 'Even the Wind is Afraid' and as you would expect from a film with such a title; this is a macabre treat! Like the classics The House That Screamed and Suspiria, this film focuses on an all-girl boarding house. After a group of girls sneak into a restricted part of the school and are caught; their punishment (doled out by the head teacher nicknamed 'The Witch') is that they have to stay behind during the summer break! Naturally the girls are not too pleased, and things take a turn for the worse when a long dead student is sighted during the heavy winds, and seems to be after a student named Claudia...

The story is very much of the slow burn variety and while we do get plenty of horror; the film focuses more on building the characters, their relationships and the central situation. The horror is brought forward more through atmosphere and while the locations used are not as Gothic as those seen in similar Italian films; the film does deliver a great air of creepiness and the way that the wind is used provides one of the main highlights. The acting is very good, with adult performers Marga López and Maricruz Olivier delivering the standout performances as the two teachers. The younger performers are all very nice looking and while the acting is sometimes a bit cheesy; it doesn't harm the film too much. The plot does move slowly but it's always interesting and the film builds tension as we get closer to the end, with the film taking a rather unexpected twist half way through. It all boils down to an engaging and original (for the time) climax and overall; Hasta el viento tiene miedo may not be one of the best known horror films ever made, but it will certainly be of interest to horror fans. Recommended!