“Ofelia, you have to listen to your father. Things are not that simple… you’re getting older, and soon you’ll see that life isn’t like your fairy tales… the world is a cruel place and you’ll learn that, even if it hurts…”

The film has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it received a 98% rating at Metacritic, making it Metacritic’s fourth highest rated movie of all time.  At the Cannes Film Festival release, it received a standing ovation.  Clearly, PAN’S LABYRINTH made an impression.

Director Guillermo Del Toro offers us a new, dark fairy tale with nods to David Copperfield and shades of Alice in Wonderland.  Does the little girl Ofelia invent a fantasy world to escape the horrible realities of life that surround her in 1944 after the Spanish Civil War? OR… are her eyes open to a world that is deeper and wider, beyond her understanding but ultimately offering hope, escape, and immortality?  Join us Friday July 11 at 7pm to watch the film and explore its timeless questions.
 
Cinema is a modern day pulpit; people flock to their local multiplexes, group together, and find themselves moved by a worldview revealed in story form, allowing themselves to be emotionally led by directors and screenwriters who influence how we feel, think, and even act.  Cinemagogue features monthly film viewings, followed by an expository exploration of narrative themes and spiritual parallels.  For more on cinema and spirituality, visit CINEMAGOGUE.