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The Devil's Backbone ()

El espinazo del diablo (original title)
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After Carlos - a 12-year-old whose father has died in the Spanish Civil War - arrives at an ominous boys' orphanage, he discovers the school is haunted and has many dark secrets which he must uncover.
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Photos and Videos

84 photos | 10 videos

Cast

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...
Carmen
...
Jacinto
...
Dr. Casares
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Carlos
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Jaime
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Conchita
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Marcelo
...
El Puerco (as Paco Maestre)
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Santi
Berta Ojea ...
Alma
Adrián Lamana ...
Gálvez
Daniel Esparza ...
Marcos
Miguel Ortiz
Javier Bódalo ...
Búho (as Javier González Madrigal)
Víctor Elías
Álvaro Vega
Jonás Batuecas
Daniel Cuño
Rubén Escamilla
...
Santi
Adrián Serna
Javier González Sánchez ...
Owl
Álvaro Román
Mikel Selles
Leandro Tejada
Izan Checa
Víctor Barroso ...
Luis
Mario Barroso
Francisco Fernández
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Christopher Downs ...
Fusilado (uncredited)
Jaime Fernández-Cid Buscató ...
Fusilado (uncredited)
Martín Hernández ...
Octavio (uncredited)

Directed by

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Guillermo del Toro

Written by

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Guillermo del Toro ... (written by) and
Antonio Trashorras ... (written by) &
David Muñoz ... (written by)

Produced by

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Agustín Almodóvar ... producer
Pedro Almodóvar ... executive producer
Rosa Bosch ... co-producer
Guillermo del Toro ... executive producer
Bertha Navarro ... producer
Michel Ruben ... associate producer

Music by

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Javier Navarrete

Cinematography by

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Guillermo Navarro

Editing by

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Luis de la Madrid

Editorial Department

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Felisa Catalinas ... negative cutter
Adoración G. Elipe ... assistant editor
Guillaume Louyot
Ximo Michavila ... telecine colorist
Laura Montesinos ... assistant editor
Guillermo Peña Jr. ... telecine
Roberto Serrano ... promo editor / trailer
Bernat Vilaplana ... assistant editor

Casting By

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Sara Bilbatua

Production Design by

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César Macarrón

Set Decoration by

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Pilar Revuelta ... (as María del Pilar Revuelta)

Costume Design by

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José Vico

Makeup Department

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Paula Cruz ... make-up and hair assistant
Fermín Galán ... hair stylist
Manuela Guzmán ... make-up and hair assistant
Jorge Hernández Lobo ... makeup artist (as Jorge Hernández)
David Martí ... special makeup supervisor

Production Management

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Sergio Díaz Bermejo ... assistant production manager (as Sergio Díaz)
Esther García ... production supervisor
Toni Novella ... unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Jorge Dorado ... third assistant director (as Jorge C. Dorado)
Christopher Downs ... director trainee
Pedro Lazaga ... first assistant director
Luisfer Machi ... third assistant director
Covadonga R. Gamboa ... second assistant director
Jesús Salcedo ... director trainee
Xavier M. Sotelo ... trainee assistant director (uncredited)
Jose Francisco de Diego ... director trainee (uncredited)

Art Department

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Francisco Escriba ... set dresser
Carlos García Campillo ... assistant set dresser
Ángel García Palmeiro ... property master
Enrique García ... set constructor
Carlos Giménez ... storyboard artist
Pedro Hernández ... carpenter
Tatiana Hernández ... assistant decorator
Kike Melia ... set dresser
Aitor Mendizábal ... trainee set decorator (as Aitor Mendizabal)
Angela Nahum ... trainee set decorator
Pablo Naveda ... set dresser
Leoncio Vicente ... painter
Tania Whalbeck ... art assistant (as Tanja Wahlbeck)

Sound Department

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Jaime Fernández ... boom operator
Jaime Fernández-Cid Buscató ... boom operator (as Jaime Fernández-Cid)
Diego Garrido ... sound mixing technician
Ray Gillon ... re-recording mixer
Gilles Laurent ... sound
Manel López ... assistant sound editor
Salva Mayolas ... sound recordist (as Salvador Mayolas)
Iván Mayoral ... adr recordist
Miguel Rejas ... sound
David Rodríguez ... assistant boom operator
Ian Sasplugas ... sound effects editor / sound recordist
Oriol Tarragó ... sound editor
Edgar Vidal ... sound effects assistant
Kiku Vidal ... foley artist
Ricardo Viñas ... dolby sound consultant

Special Effects by

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Reyes Abades ... mechanical effects
Carmen Aguirre ... special effects art director
Ángel Alonso ... special effects technician (as Angel Alonso)
Arturo Balseiro ... special effects makeup (as Arturo Balceiro)
Xavier Bastida ... special effects makeup (as Xavi Bastida)
Juan Carlos Corroto ... special effects technician
José M. Meneses ... special effects technician: DDT
Alfonso Nieto ... special effects supervisor
Juan Serrano ... special effects technician: Reyes Abades SFX

Visual Effects by

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Nike Alonso ... CGI assistant production
Helmuth Barnert ... digital compositor
Raúl Batanero ... CGI operator
Juan Bosco ... Avid digital effects
Juanjo Carretero ... digital effects technician
Gonzalo Carrión ... matchmove artist
Gonzalo Carssón ... CGI operator
Segundo Casero ... CGI chief operator
Nacho Cepero ... digital compositor
René Chesta ... CGI operator
Daniel de Madrid ... backdraft
Juan del Pozo ... digital compositor
Manuel Delgado ... digital compositor
Alejandro Dupry ... Avid digital effects
Eduardo Díaz ... CGI operator
David Fernández Girón ... CGI operator
Daniel Fernández ... CGI operator (as Daniel Fernández Parra)
Gabriel Garrido ... digital compositor
Iñaki Gil ... CGI chief operator
Noelia Gorrón ... digital effects producer
Enrique Jiménez ... digital effects technician (as Kike Jiménez)
Isidro Jiménez ... digital compositor
Antonio Lado ... CGI operator
Pablo Martín ... CGI operator
Carlos Matella ... digital compositor
Patricia Matiskei ... digital compositor
Gonzalo Moure ... digital compositor
Javier Nuñez ... CGI chief of production
Raul Ortego ... digital compositor
Emilio Pérez ... digital compositor
Álvaro Rodríguez ... digital effects producer (as Alvaro Rodríguez)
Emilio Ruiz del Río ... modeler (as Emilio Ruiz)
Raúl Sánchez ... digital compositor
Silvia Torralba ... digital effects producer
Carlos Trijueque ... digital compositor
Antonio Ubeda ... CGI operator (as Antonio Úbeda)
Jon Uriarte ... CGI operator
Rodrigo Vega ... CGI operator
Óscar Villalba ... backdraft
Jesús Álvarez ... visual effects
Úrsula García ... visual effects coordinator: pre-production (uncredited)

Stunts

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Sergio Atanes ... stunt coordinator
Silvia Carballo ... stunts
Ricardo Cruz ... stunts
María José García ... stunts
Salvador Martos Manson ... stunts (as Salvador Martos)
Andreas Muñoz ... stunts

Camera and Electrical Department

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Javier Aguado ... electrician
Óscar Aguado ... electrician
Alberto Arnal ... electrician (as José Alberto Arnal)
Enrique Bello ... grip
Fernando Beltrán ... electrician
Miguel Bracho ... still photographer
Silvia Camacho ... video technician
Pablo Carrión ... electrician
Antonio de Benito ... electrician
José Ramón Delgado ... first assistant camera
David Domínguez ... second unit: assistant camera
José Manuel González ... electrician
José Manuel Herrero ... underwater camera operator
Joaquín Manchado ... camera operator / steadicam
Raúl Manchado ... second assistant camera: first unit
Antonio Martínez Roque ... grip (as Antonio Martínez)
José Luis Martínez ... electrician
Carlos Miguel ... key grip
Roberto Miguel ... second assistant camera: second unit
José Luis Molero ... electrician
David Rengel ... trainee assistant camera
Raúl Rodríguez ... electrician
Marcelino San Eugenio ... electrician
Alberto Sánchez Beltrán ... electrician (as Alberto Sánchez)
Anselmo Villalba ... grip

Casting Department

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Cristina Perales ... casting assistant
Macarena Pombo ... casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Rocío Redondo ... wardrobe assistant
Mercedes Sanz ... wardrobe coordinator

Location Management

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Chus San Pascual ... location scout

Music Department

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Martina Cigerová ... musician: oboe
José Luis Crespo ... music mixer
Jaroslava Eliasová ... musician: piano
Martin Hubsch ... musician: oboe
Mario Klemens ... conductor
Pedro Navarrete ... music assistant
Radovan Sancera ... musician: concertino
Rubén Suárez ... assistant music mixer

Script and Continuity Department

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Yuyi Beringola ... script supervisor

Additional Crew

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Alfonso Aguirre ... technical director
Conchita Araña ... trainee production assistant (as Conchita R. Araña)
Yolanda Cáceres ... technical director
Fabio Diéguez ... animal trainer coordinator
Adela Donamaría ... production secretary
Sergio Díaz Bermejo ... assistant production manager (as Sergio Díaz)
Nuria García Atienza ... marketing: Sogecine (as Nuria Garcia Atienza)
Lola García ... office chief
Marga García ... marketing
Antonio Giménez ... marketing
Beatriz Gordo ... cashier
Emma Matamoros ... production staff
Inés Miruri ... child coach
Yuriria Montero ... assistant: Tequila Gang
Rafael Pajares ... production assistant
Ana Sanz ... secretary to producer
Rosa María Serrano ... assistant accountant (as Rosa Mª Serrano)
Paz Sufrategui ... publicist
Francisco Sánchez Ortiz ... marketing director
Antonia Sánchez ... nurse
Nicolás Tapia ... production assistant
Óscar Valero ... administrator (as Oscar Valero)
François Vila ... press agent

Thanks

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Juan Carlos Doadrio ... thanks
Nicolás Díaz Chico ... thanks
Laura Esquivel ... thanks
Delfín Prieto ... thanks
José Salcedo ... thanks

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Spain, 1939. With the country ravaged by civil war and General Francisco Franco's Nationalists, Carlos, an abandoned orphan, ends up in a small Republican orphanage. Now, there is no turning back: with his freedom-fighter father killed for the cause, the 12-year-old boy's fate lies in the hands of the institution's unwilling administrator, Carmen. But these are trying times; bread and food are precious commodities. And then, ominous whispers filled the school's labyrinthine corridors. As the innocent newcomer navigates a cruel reality while coping with bullies, disquieting rumours of otherworldly visitations chill the bone to the marrow. Sometimes, the truth is stranger than fiction--wolves and lambs can die together. After all, blood never forgets. And in the waning months of the Spanish Civil War, revenge may even come from the grave. Written by Nick Riganas

Plot Keywords
Taglines The living will always be more dangerous than the dead. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • The Devil's Backbone (Thailand, English title)
  • The Devil's Backbone (United States)
  • The Devil's Backbone (Philippines, English title)
  • The Devil's Backbone (World-wide, English title)
  • The Devil's Backbone (Hong Kong, English title)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 106 min
Official Sites
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $4,500,000 (estimated)

Did You Know?

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Trivia Described by Guillermo del Toro as being a sibling film to Pan's Labyrinth (2006) (this being the masculine "brother" film, and Pan's as the feminine "sister" film). See more »
Goofs The amount of gold Jacinto puts in his pockets and ties to his belt would probably pull his pants off and definitely make it impossible for him to stand and walk the way he does. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Part II: 75-51 (2004). See more »
Soundtracks Una lágrima See more »
Crazy Credits During the opening credits sequence, the letters of the film's title can be seen floating around the preserved fetuses. Eventually, the letters come together to form the title. See more »
Quotes [first lines]
[voice over narration]
Casares: What is a ghost? A tragedy condemned to repeat itself time and again? An instant of pain, perhaps. Something dead which still seems to be alive. An emotion suspended in time. Like a blurred photograph. Like an insect trapped in amber.
See more »
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