The ‘El cuerpo del delito’ cycle at the Filmoteca Canaria continues its program with the screening of ‘Who Can Kill a Child?’, a landmark work of Spanish horror cinema. The film, celebrating its 50th anniversary since its premiere, returns to the big screen thanks to the institution dependent on the Government of the Canary Islands.
The screenings will take place on Tuesday, September 15th, at 7:00 PM, at the Teatro Guiniguada in Gran Canaria, and on Thursday, September 17th, at the same time, at Espacio La Granja in Tenerife. Tickets for both events will be free and can be collected in advance at the box office or via the venues' websites.
‘Who Can Kill a Child?’ has garnered global admiration over the decades for its unique atmosphere and terror narrative. Filmmakers such as Álex de la Iglesia and Quentin Tarantino have publicly expressed their admiration for Ibáñez Serrador's film, who directed only two feature films in his career.
The story is set in a Mediterranean coastal town, following Tom and Evelyn, an English tourist couple on a late honeymoon. Seeking tranquility, they decide to rent a boat to visit a small island where Tom had been as a child. However, upon arrival, they discover that this seemingly idyllic spot is not what it appears, as the island's sole inhabitants are children who, driven by a mysterious force, hide a bloody truth and rebel against adults.
The film is based on the book ‘El juego de los niños’ by Juan José Plans, though many film experts consider it to have references to ‘Village of the Damned’ (Wolfa Rilla, 1960), as well as other works by Hitchcock and Fellini. Due to its graphic nature, it was exhibited with cuts in countries like Argentina, the United States, France, and Sweden, and was completely banned in Finland.
With ‘Who Can Kill a Child?’ and later the film ‘La residencia’, Narciso Ibáñez Serrador solidified his name as a screenwriter and director of horror films. This facet was added to his role as a pioneer in Spanish television history, where he stood out for revolutionary formats like ‘Historias para no dormir’ and ‘Un, dos, tres… responda otra vez’. His extensive professional career also earned him numerous awards, including the National Television Award in 2010 and the Goya of Honor in 2019.
The screening is part of the ‘El cuerpo del delito’ cycle, through which Filmoteca Canaria questions the deeper meaning of crime as a reflection of the country, its ghosts, and how a community learns—or fails to learn—to coexist with what it prefers to forget.
Following the screening of ‘Who Can Kill a Child?’, the cycle will continue with ‘El crimen de Cuenca’, a film by Pilar Miró based on a true case, and ‘El ladrón de los guantes blancos’, the first feature film shot entirely in the Canary Islands, which is celebrating its centenary.
