Did you know that As bestas is inspired by a real case, known as The Crime of Santoalla?
The beasts achieved what no one imagined: to create a consensus within the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences by eliminating 9 Goya Prize 2023 and let Alcarras, the other big favorite of the evening, empty-handed. This ‘rural thriller‘ entirely shot in Galicia has not only been a success with the public (more than 5 million euros raised, and growing). has also been acclaimed by critics and moviegoersso no one denies how well deserved these awards are.
However, It has all the more merit that As Bestas is a film inspired by real events, and that few are aware of it.. Indeed, the last of Rodrigo Sorogoyen is inspired by a real case known as El Crimen de Santoalla and you are about to discover the huge similarities.
The Santoalla crime: all about the case that shocked Galicia
The year is 1997. Martin Verfonderna Dutchman of German origin, left until Santoalla, a small village in Ourense (Galicia) where he can retire and live peacefully until the end of his days. Only two families resided in this city: in a house, the couple formed by Martin Verfondern and his wife Margo Pool. In another, the rodriguez familytrained by Manual (the father), Jovita (Mother) and their two sons, Juan Carlos and Julio.
There was no hint of what was to come as the two families got along well, but due to an economic dispute (the sale of a few pins), the conflicts started. This caused Martin Verfondern install cameras in his house when he began to fear for his life and that of his partner.
We jump to January 19, 2010: the Dutchman took his vehicle to do some shopping, but was never seen again. The last news the police had of him was that he had stopped at a bar to check the internet, but for months no one found him. It was not until 2014, 12 kilometers from his home, that authorities located his partially burned car and Martin’s skull. And that’s when he was discovered Jean Charlesone of the two children of the family who lived with him and his partner, he took a shotgun and killed the stranger through the window of the vehicle.
Surprisingly, these details are still present in some form in The beastsincluding the mental disability from which he suffered Jean Charles (this character is also in the movie Rodrigo Sorogoyan). However, in real life only Jean Charles served a sentence (10 and a half years in prison), because his brother July he freed himself from any form of criminal responsibility for kinship in the offense of concealment.
Other news that may interest you if you liked As bestas