‘As bestas’: The real crime that inspired the new film by Rodrigo Sorogoyen

‘As bestas’, the new film by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, is based on an incredible true storyone of the many reasons why it became one of the best movies of 2022. The film reached Spanish cinemas with an enviable run: after being amazed at Cannes (as the critics of ‘As bestas’ at the Cannes Festival attested) and also at the San Sebastián Festival (once again the critics attested of ‘As bestas’ at the San Sebastián Festival) and at the Sitges Festival, it quickly became one of the films of the season, a new triumph for the Sorogoyen and Isabel Peña tandem, and also a firm candidate for enter the ranking of the best Spanish films in history. And let’s not forget that she is one of the main nominees for the Goya 2023.

The thriller with hints of drama is set in an almost uninhabited village in deep rural Galicia, where a French couple tries to get by working in their garden and enjoying the purest nature. However, the rest of the residents seek to get out of there thanks to the financial compensation that an energy company has promised them if they leave their lands to install some wind mills. The confrontation between the French and a pair of local brothers escalates to the point that the former fear for their lives…

Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Isabel Penaco-writers of the film, were inspired (very freely) by a real event that occurred not so long ago, between 2010 and 2014, which shocked Galicia and had international repercussions, although today few people remember it beyond the neighbors close to Santoalla, the semi-abandoned village of Petín (Ourense) where the events occurred.

History goes back to January 19, 2010, the date Martin Verfondern disappeared without a trace. Martin, a nationalized Dutchman, had been living in the town of Petín since 1997 with his wife, Margo Pool, and at first they had a good relationship with their neighbors, the Rodríguez family, the family formed by Jovita, her husband, and their two children. . But everything changed for several disputes, the most important being the one over the €6,000 that an energy company promised the two families, the only inhabitants of Santoalla, for each of the 25 windmills that he wanted to install in the village. Martin’s refusal alienated the two clans to the point that the Dutchman began to record the alleged threats and attacks of what he himself called “rural terrorism”as the newspaper collects on video The country.

At the time, Martin accused Juan Carlos, Jovita’s youngest son, of being guilty of these threats against his life. The man, who at that time was 42 years old, suffered a mental handicap for which, according to Martín, “he looked like a 10 year old“. Years later it was learned that Juan Carlos, with the cover-up and the help of his brother Julio, pulled the trigger of his shotgun murdering Martin that January morning 2010, although the crime took almost five years to be cleared up.

Since the disappearance of Martin was reported, the investigations by the Civil Guard and the wife of the disappeared man did not bear fruit until 4 years later, in June 2014, when the authorities located the cara white Chevrolet Blazer, and the mortal remains of Martin 12 kilometers from what was his home. Juan Carlos was arrested by the Civil Guard after analyzing the evidence and ended up confessing to the crimedespite the fact that he and his family had been denying the accusations for 4 years.

Margo, Martin’s widow, still lives in Santoalla (right now she is the only inhabitant) and fulfilling her husband’s dream. “I love this life, and despite what happened, I am not afraid of anything, I am very clear that I intend to stay,” she stated a couple of years ago to The voice of Galicia. “If I left, they would win this war“, declared to The country after recovering her husband’s bones and burying them in the makeshift cemetery of the village.

‘As bestas’ was released in cinemas throughout Spain on Friday November 11th.