AS BESTAS

Spain, France

Synopsis

Antoine (Denis Ménochet) and Olga (Marina Foïs) are a French couple that settled down, some time ago, in a small village, in inland Galicia (Spain). There, they lead a peaceful life, although coexisting with the local people isn’t as idyllic as they would like. A conflict with their neighbors, the Anta brothers (Luis Zahera and Diego Anido), breaks out whereby tension will grow throughout the hamlet until it reaches a point of no return.

Director's Statement

From the outset there was a concept I wanted to link to AS BESTAS: justice. When we wrote the story of Olga and Antoine, we were always filled with a terrible feeling of injustice. That frustration, that lack of justice, was the feeling I wanted to explore in this film. But the interesting thing about justice is that it isn’t indisputable. It’s relative.

Director's Biography

Nominated for the Oscar© for his short film “Madre”, and after having won the Goya for Best Director for “El reino”, Rodrigo Sorogoyen is today one of the best known directors in Spain.

In 2011, he created his own production company, Caballo Films, with which he directed STOCKHOLM, an independent film which became one of the revelations of the year, obtaining the Goya for Best New Actor and a nomination for Best New Director. In 2016, he released QUE DIOS NOS PERDONE, a thriller also co-written with Isabel Peña and produced by Tornasol and Atresmedia. Featuring Antonio de la Torre and Roberto Alamo, the film earned excellent reviews and won the Jury Prize for Best Script at the San Sebastian Festival and the Goya for Best Actor for Álamo. In 2018, Rodrigo released EL REINO, produced by Tornasol and Atresmedia, also written with Isabel Peña and featuring Antonio de la Torre. After its screening at San Sebastian it earned both good reviews and audience acceptance, winning 7 Goya awards, including Best Director and Best Script. That same year, Rodrigo made the feature film MADRE which he produced with Arcadia Motion Pictures, after the success of the homonymous short film on which the film is based and which was nominated for the Oscar and won the Goya. The feature film was released in cinemas in Spain in 2019 after being shown at the Venice Festival and winning the Best Actress award and 4 Goya nominations.

He did his television debut in 2020 with the series ANTIDISTURBIOS, of which he is also the creator along with Isabel Peña, it won numerous awards, including two Forqué Awards, for Best Series and Best Actor, also Best Dramatic Series, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor at the Feroz Awards, and the recent Ondas Awards for Best Dramatic Series and Best Actress. That same year he directed the series EN CASA for HBO, shot entirely and released during the lockdown in the spring of 2020. Last year, after shooting THE BEASTS (As bestas), he wrote and directed, along with Dani Remón, EL DOBLE, one of the four episodes in the remake of HISTORIAS PARA NO DORMIR, one the most emblematic works of terror from Chicho Ibañez Serrador. This year he will release his latest works: EL GESTOR, the episode written by Isabel Peña for the apocalyptic series APAGÓN, from Movistar+, and THE BEASTS, his fifth feature film. In his own words: “This will be my most ambitious film in every sense, both formally and thematically and also as regards production design”.

FILMOGRAPHY:
2022 - THE BEASTS, Feature
2019 - MADRE, Feature
2018 - THE REALM, Feature
2016 - MAY GOD SAVE US, Feature
2013 - STOCKHOLM, Feature
2008 - 8 DATES, Feature
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Cast & Crew

Directed by: Rodrigo Sorogoyen

Written by: Isabel Peña Domingo, Rodrigo Sorogoyen

Produced by: Sandra Tapia, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé, Eduardo Villanueva, Nacho Lavilla, Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Jean Labadie, Anne-Laure Labadie, Thomas Pibarot

Cinematography: Alex de Pablo

Editing: Alberto del Campo

Production Design: José Tirado

Costume Design: Paola Torres

Make-Up & Hair: Irene Pedrosa, Jesús Gil

Original Score: Olivier Arson

Sound: Aitor Berenguer, Fabiola Ordoyo, Yasmina Praderas

Visual Effects: Óscar Abades, Ana Rubio

Casting: Paula Cámara, Arantza Velez, Julie Navarro

Cast: Marina Foïs (Olga), Denis Ménochet (Antonine), Luis Zahera (Xan), Diego Anido (Lorenzo), Maria Colomb (Marie)

Nominations and Awards

  • Feature Film Selection 2022