''The Damned'' ( es, Los condenados, links=no) is a 2009 Spanish drama film directed by

Isaki Lacuesta Isaki Lacuesta (born 1975, Girona) is a Spanish film director from Catalonia. His work includes documentary film, narrative film and video art. Lacuesta was born into a family of Basque origin. He studied audiovisual communication at the Autonomo ...

from a screenplay by Lacuesta and

Isa Campo Isa Campo (born 1975) is a Spanish screenwriter who has also directed and produced. She is a longtime collaborator of Isaki Lacuesta. Biography Campo was born in Oviedo in 1975. She moved to Girona, Catalonia at a young age, in the wake of her ...

. Its cast features Daniel Fanego,

Arturo Goetz Arturo L. Goetz (24 June 1944 – 28 July 2014) was an Argentine film actor. He worked in the cinema of Argentina. He studied for a Doctor of Philosophy degree in economics at Jesus College, Oxford, from 1971 to 1974, and published his findings ...

, María Fiorentino,

Leonor Manso Leonor Manso (born 16 April 1948) is an Argentinian actress. She appeared in more than 70 films since 1969. Manso directed her first production, ''Waiting for Godot'', in 1996.Nazareno Casero Nazareno Casero (born June 19, 1986) is an Argentine film and television actor. He works in the cinema of Argentina. Biography The son of actor Alfredo Casero, Nazareno started acting in 1996 under the direction of Alejandro Agresti, in '' ...

, Juana Hidalgo, and

Bárbara Lennie Bárbara Lennie Holguín (born 20 April 1984) is a Spanish actress, hailed as an indie cinema star. She won the Goya Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 2014 neo-noir drama ''Magical Girl'', also scooping nominations for ''Obaba'' ...

Plot

Former

guerrilla fighter Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tactics ...

Raúl recalls former pal Martín to South America from the latter's Spanish exile after 30 years. Raúl is trying to find the corpse of a common partner, Ezequiel.

Cast

Production

The film was produced by Benecé Produccions in association with

Televisió de Catalunya Televisió de Catalunya (, known by the acronym TVC) is the public broadcasting network of Catalonia, one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. It is part of the Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals, a public corporation cre ...

, and with the participation of TVE. It was shot in Argentina, Peru, and Spain (including

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

Release

The film screened at the 57th

San Sebastián International Film Festival The San Sebastián International Film Festival ( SSIFF; es, Festival Internacional de San Sebastián, eu, Donostia Zinemaldia) is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of Donostia-San Sebastián in September, in th ...

on 25 September 2022, closing the festival's official selection slate. It was theatrically released in Spain on 20 November 2009.

Reception

Jonathan Holland of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' deemed ''The Damned'' to be "hushed, intense and admirable", pointing out that "silence speaks louder than words" in the film. Sergi Sánchez of ''

Fotogramas ''Fotogramas'' is Spanish digital and print film magazine which has been in circulation since 1946. It is one of the early film magazines in Spain. History Founded in Barcelona, it was first published on 15 November 1946 by Antonio Nadal-Rodó a ...

'' rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, highlighting a couple of tremendous sequence shots as the film's standout, while citing a scene with Nazareno's character shooting an animal as a negative point. Toni Vall of ''

Cinemanía ''Cinemanía'' is a Spanish language monthly film magazine based in Madrid, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)( ...

'' rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, deeming it to be a "an abrupt, imperfect and somewhat emphatic film, but undoubtedly interesting".

Accolades

, - , align = "center" , 2009 , , 57th

, , colspan = "2" , FIPRESCI Award , , , , align = "center" , , - , rowspan = "2" align = "center" , 2010 , , 2nd

Gaudí Awards The Gaudí Awards ( ca, Premis Gaudí) are the main film awards of Catalonia, celebrated annually in Barcelona. The awards were established in 2009 by the Catalan Film Academy as a continuation and expansion of the Barcelona Cinema Awards (''Premi ...

, , colspan = "2" , Best Film Not in the Catalan Language , , , , , - , 54th

Sant Jordi Awards The Sant Jordi Awards ( ca, Premis Sant Jordi, links=no; es, Premios Sant Jordi, links=no) are film prizes awarded annually by the Catalan branch of the Spanish public radio network Radio Nacional de España (RNE), Ràdio 4 Ràdio 4 is a Spani ...

, , Best Spanish Actress , , Bárbara Lennie , , , ,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Damned (2009 film), The Spanish drama films 2000s Spanish-language films 2000s Spanish films 2009 drama films 2009 films Films shot in Barcelona Films shot in Argentina Films shot in Peru Films set in South America