Dark Fairy Tales: Guillermo del Toro and Pan's Labyrinth — Workshop/Talk

Book workshop tickets at Picturehouse

In Pan's Labyrinth, Ofelia is surrounded by instructions. Her stepfather demands obedience, and a faun gives her tasks that come with rules of their own. Knowing when to follow them, and when to refuse, is another matter.

This four-hour talk and workshop at Picturehouse @ FACT in Liverpool explores why Guillermo del Toro tells this story through a fairy tale. We'll discuss how Ofelia's encounters with the faun sit alongside the violence of fascist Spain, and what fantasy allows the film to say about childhood and power.

Pan's Labyrinth will lead us into del Toro's wider filmmaking and the history of fantasy on screen. We'll look closely at scenes and compare our interpretations, with time to ask questions and return to details that interest the group.

Writers and filmmakers can use the afternoon to consider how these approaches might inform their own stories. You don't…