# The Open Body

The Open Body (Galician: O corpo aberto) is a 2022 Gothic folk horror drama film directed by Ángeles Huerta [es] from a screenplay by Huerta and Daniel D. García, based on the story "Lobosandaus" by Xosé Luís Méndez Ferrín. It stars Tamar Novas alongside María Vázquez and Victória Guerra. It was primarily shot in Galician and Portuguese.

## Plot

Set in 1909, the plot follows Miguel, a teacher destined to the fictional Galician village of Lobosandaus, in the border between Spain and Portugal. After his arrival to the village, he meets with Obdulia, a woman seemingly possessed by the spirit of her sister-in-law Dorinda's former (male) lover. Miguel, a man of reason, begins to question himself about the supernatural.

## Cast

* Tamar Novas as Miguel
* María Vázquez as Obdulia
* Victória Guerra [pt] as Dorinda
* Nicolás Otero as Clamores
* Elena Seijo as Aparecida
* José Fidalgo as Mauro
* Federico Pérez [es] as Turelo
* Miquel Ínsua as Don Fernando
* Izan González as Martín

## Production

The screenplay was written by Ángeles Huerta and Daniel D. García, based on Xosé Luís Méndez Ferrín's story "Lobosandaus" (from the book Arraianos). The film is a Spanish-Portuguese co-production by OlloVivo (Galicia), Fasten Films (Catalonia), and Cinemate (Portugal), with support of AGADIC [gl] and ICAA. Shooting locations included Muíños, Lobeira, and Calvos de Randín (all in the Spanish province of Ourense) and the Portuguese villages of Tourém and Pitões (both in Montalegre). It was primarily shot in Galician and Portuguese, also featuring dialogue in Spanish.

## Release

Filmax acquired international rights to the film. The Open Body's festival run included screenings at the Lisbon International Horror Film Festival (MOTELX), the Ourense International Film Festival, the 67th Valladolid International Film Festival (Seminci), and the 60th Gijón International Film Festival. It was released theatrically in Spain on 9 December 2022.

## Reception

Pablo Vázquez of Fotogramas rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, highlighting Novas (in his best performance to date) as the film's standout while citing's the film's "somewhat cumbersome" narration as a negative point.
Santiago Alverú [ca] of Cinemanía rated the film 3½ stars, summing it up as "an honest search for the ghost of the evil dreamed".
Miguel Anxo Fernández of La Voz de Galicia deemed The Open Body to be "an honest, brave and well-finished film, destined to last", confirming Ángeles Huerta as "a solvent and welcome director" in the scope of fiction.

## Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 2021 | 21st Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Film | Best Film | Won |
| 2021 | 21st Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Director | Ángeles Huerta | Won |
| 2021 | 21st Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Screenplay | Ángeles Huerta, Daniel D. García | Won |
| 2021 | 21st Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Actor | Tamar Novas | Won |
| 2021 | 21st Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Actress | María Vázquez | Nominated |
| 2021 | 21st Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Actress | Victoria Guerra | Nominated |
| 2021 | 21st Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Elena Seijo | Nominated |
| 2021 | 21st Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Federico Pérez Rey | Won |
| 2021 | 21st Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Cinematography | Gina Ferrer | Won |
| 2021 | 21st Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Editing | Sandra Sánchez | Nominated |
| 2021 | 21st Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Original Score | Mercedes Peón | Won |
| 2021 | 21st Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Production Supervision | Tamara Soto Mato | Won |
| 2021 | 21st Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Art Direction | Antonio Pereira | Won |
| 2021 | 21st Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Sound | Diego Staub, Jordi Rossinyol | Won |
| 2021 | 21st Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Costume Design | Teresa Sousa | Won |
| 2021 | 21st Mestre Mateo Awards | Best Makeup and Hairstyles | Raquel Fidalgo, Noé Montes, María Barreiro | Won |