The Wolf House
The Wolf House (Spanish: La casa lobo) is a Chilean stop-motion animated film directed by Cristobal León & Joaquín Cociña and co-written with Alejandra Moffat.
The Wolf House | |
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Film poster | |
Spanish | La casa lobo |
Directed by | Cristobal León and Joaquín Cociña |
Produced by |
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Written by |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | Cristobal León and Joaquín Cociña |
Production company | Diluvio Globo Rojo Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 75 minutes |
Country | Chile |
Language | Spanish German |
It had its world premiere at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival in the section Forum on February 22, 2018.[1]
Plot
María, a young woman finds refuge in a house in the south of Chile after escaping from a sect of German religious fanatics. She is welcomed into the home by two pigs, the only inhabitants of the place. Like in a dream, the universe of the house reacts to Maria’s feelings. The animals transform slowly into humans and the house becomes a nightmarish world. Inspired by the actual case of Colonia Dignidad, “The Wolf House” masquerades as an animated fairy tale produced by the leader of the sect in order to indoctrinate its followers.[2]
Cast
- Amalia Kassai as María
- Rainer Krause as Wolf
Production
For its production, it received support from several projects including the Chile Fund for Film Project Development and the FONDART from the National Council of Culture and the Arts.[3]
Filming
The film was shot in several studios and exhibitions at museums of different cities from Latin America and Europe including the Upstream Gallery in Amsterdam, Netherlands, the Kampnagel in Hamburg, Germany and the Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts in Santiago, Chile.[4]
Release
It had its world premiere at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival on February 22, 2018. It was also screened at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival[5] where it won the Jury Distinction, the Monterrey International Film Festival and other Chilean festivals including the Valdivia Film Festival and the Viña del Mar International Film Festival.
Reception
Critical response
On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 95% based on 43 reviews, with an average rating of 8.0/10. The critical consensus reads "Surreal, unsettling, and finally haunting, The Wolf House is a stunning outpouring of creativity whose striking visuals queasily complement its disturbing story."[6] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 86 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[7]
Glenn Kenny of The New York Times gave the film a positive review writing: "The film surprises, with incredible force, in every one of its 75 minutes.".[8] Jonathan Holland of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film for its visuals, writing: "the deeply uncanny pic makes for an unsettling viewing experience, a creative tour de force whose endlessly fascinating visuals are deliberately seductive and repellent in equal measure.".[9] David Ehrlich of IndieWire rated the film a B+, calling the film "one of the darkest animated movies ever made.".[10]
Awards and nominations
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
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Platino Awards | May 12, 2019 | Best Animated Film | Cristóbal León, Joaquín Cociña | Nominated | [11] |
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | December 13, 2020 | Best Animated Film | The Wolf House | Won | [12][13] |
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | December 21, 2020 | Best Animated Film | Nominated | [14] | |
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | December 21, 2020 | Best Animated Film | Nominated | [15] | |
References
- "La casa lobo". Berlinale. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- "The Wolf House". KimStim. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- "LA CASA LOBO". Diluvio. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- "La Casa Lobo". Leoncocina. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- Amidi, Amid (June 16, 2018). "Annecy:'Funan', 'Bloeistraat 11' Top 2018 Annecy (Complete List of Winners)". Cartoon Brew.
- "The Wolf House". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- "The Wolf House Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- Kenny, Glenn (14 May 2020). "'The Wolf House' Review: A Different Kind of Quarantine". The New York Times.
- Holland, Jonathan (10 December 2018). "'The Wolf House' ('La Casa Lobo'): Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
- Ehrlich, David (15 May 2020). "'The Wolf House' Review: A Chilean Nazi Cult Inspires One of the Darkest Animated Movies Ever". IndieWire.
- "'Roma' obtiene nueva nominaciones a los Premios Platino" (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 March 2019.
- "Current Winners – 2020 Awards". Boston Society of Film Critics. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- The Boston Society of Film Critics names its winners for 2020 - The Boston Globe
- "2020 FLORIDA FILM CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD NOMINATIONS". Florida Film Critics Circle. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- "'Nomadland' Scores Seven Nominations From Chicago Film Critics Association". Variety. Retrieved December 18, 2020.