Pan's Labyrinth takes place in a dual setting: in the "real world" the story is set in Spain during the turbulent period shortly after the Spanish Civil War, and tells an allegorical story of a girl named Ofelia who is given three tasks by a mysterious faun. Meanwhile, her stepfather, the Falangist Captain Vidal, viciously hunts the Spanish Maquis, guerrillas who continued fighting the Franco regime in the region, as her pregnant mother grows ill. The alternate setting is a secret "fantasy world" that Ofelia enters through an overgrown labyrinth garden, where she meets all manner of strange and magical creatures who become central to her story.

Written by: Guillermo del Toro
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro

Ivana Baquero . . . Ofelia
Sergi López i Ayats . . . Captain Vidal
Doug Jones . . . Faun/Pale Man
Maribel Verdú . . . Mercedes
Ariadna Gil . . . Carmen Vidal
Alex Angulo . . . Doctor Ferreiro
Manolo Solo . . . Garces
César Vea . . . Serrano
Roger Casamajor . . . Pedro

 

Pan's Labyrinth has won numerous film awards, including Best Picture from National Society of Film Critics, and Academy Awards for Achievements in Cinematography, Makeup, and Art Direction. It has also earned BAFTA awards for Best Film Not in English, Costume Design, and Makeup and Hair. At the Goya Awards, the Spanish equivalent of the Academy Awards, the film won in many categories including Best Cinematography, Editing, Make Up & Hairstyles, New Actress for Ivana Baquero, Original Screenplay, Sound, and Special Effects. At Mexico's Ariel Awards, the movie won in 8 categories, including Best Movie and Best Director. The film won the top award at the 2007 edition of Fantasporto. At the 2007 Saturn Awards, it received accolades for Best International Film and Best Performance by a Younger Actor for Ivana Baquero. The film also won "Best Film" at the 2007 Spacey Awards, and "Best Science Fiction Film, TV Movie, or Mini-Series of 2006" at the 2007 Constellation Awards. It also won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form in 2007. The film was also nominated for a number of other awards such as Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes in 2007.