Irati

I just saw this in theaters in Spain. Dark fantasy at its best. I highly recommend it, and also "errementari", the previous film by the same director.

It's amazing how well it does for a low-budget movie.

The treatment of the characters, the environments, the light and the creatures is very well done.

Based on pre-medieval traditions and myths from Spain in the 6th century AD, where paganism and Christianity collided.

It is incredible how the director manages to keep you in complete tension with a tale of swords and monsters, and where nothing is what it seems and even the magic that seemed lost has its place in the world.

Everything has already been seen, but, strangely, "Irati" still seems a fresh take on the dark fantasy epic tale.

The film is based on Basque mythology and folklore, exploring themes like religion, necessary adaptation for survival, and even a additional message on the end. I watched it with Basque audio, and it was a captivating combination of the rhythm of the words and pictures.

In some scenes you can see feel the relative low budget, but overall it was hidden well.

I am very glad that I jumped in without knowing anything about the movie.

The actors are almost all very good, and the female lead, Edurne Azkarate, is fantastic.

What a beautiful ride!

As a lover of Basque culture, my own culture, I was absolutely captivated by the movie Irati. The film beautifully captures the essence of Basque mythology, bringing to life the ancient creatures and spirits that have been passed down through generations. The way these mythological beings are portrayed is nothing short of incredible, adding depth and mystery to the narrative. I found myself completely enchanted by the film, and I can confidently say that I've fallen in love with it. I would watch Irati again without hesitation, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in exploring a pre-Indo-European culture that has survived numerous attempts at conquest without losing its identity. This film is a stunning tribute to the resilience and richness of Basque heritage.

Eskerrikasko.

No pun intended - if you watch the movie it will become quite clear what I mean by that - actually some may even say it becomes clear in the beginning (intro) of the movie itself. Well that is for you to decide or rather find out. If you like fantasy movies, with a touch of darkness and mythological touches ... well you could do much worse.

This being from a certain area of Spain - which means that if you know "normal" spanish, you may have issues understanding what they are saying. Sangre (blood) is called something else, one of the things I noticed. I assume the english subtitles did not translate wrong of course.

This may be a bit too long, but the way it works, it reminded me a lot of 80s movies - that had similar storylines. If that is your thing, you'll have a blast to say the least.