Project: The Devil's Backbone (2001, dir. Guillermo Del Toro)
The Devil's Backbone is a ghost story that takes place in Spain in 1939, towards the end of the Spanish Civil War. Carlos, our young protagonist, is sent to an orphanage in the countryside following the death of his father, where he discovers the presence of a ghost boy named Santi. As a political allegory for the war, the presence of the violence and fascism of civil war looms over the orphanage, where most of the story takes place, eventually infiltrating the walls of the refuge.
Adapting the setting from 1930s Spain to 1980s Colombia, a country similarly fatigued by its own history of civil war and conflicts. The context of war, specifically civil war, is an important piece of the story for Del Toro's story as it centers on the betrayal between "brothers" at the orphanage, as well as the larger betrayal that the adults feel about their fellow countrymen. Modeling the orphanage on the Sanctuary of Monserrate, located high in the Andes over looking the city of Bogota, serves as the perfect place to explore the country's storied history of magical realism and memory, approaching the supernatural in a grounded way.
Software: Adobe Photoshop, Sketchup, Twilight
EXT. COURTYARD - RENDER (ADOBE PHOTOSHOP)
INT. BASEMENT CISTERNS/SALT MINE - RENDER (ADOBE PHOTOSHOP)
INT. CARMEN'S BEDROOM - RENDERING (ADOBE PHOTOSHOP)
INT. REFECTORY - RENDERING (ADOBE PHOTOSHOP)
INT. CHAPEL/CLASSROOM - RENDERING (ADOBE PHOTOSHOP)
SANTI, THE GHOST BOY - RENDERING (ADOBE PHOTOSHOP)
RESEARCH AND FINAL DESIGN PACKAGE
