A Twelve-Year Night
A Twelve-Year Night (Spanish: 'La noche de 12 años') is a 2018 Uruguayan Spanish Argentine French German drama movie directed by Alvaro Brechner and starring Antonio de la Torre, Chino Darín, Alfonso Tort, César Troncoso, Soledad Villamil.
| A Twelve-Year Night | |
|---|---|
| File:A Twelve-Year Night poster.png Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Alvaro Brechner |
| Produced by | |
| Written by | |
| Based on | Memorias del calabozo by Mauricio Rosencof and Eleuterio Fernández Huidobro |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Federico Jusid |
| Cinematography | Carlos Catalán |
| Edited by | Nacho Ruiz Capillas |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 118 minutes |
| Country |
|
| Language | Spanish |
Production
A Twelve-Year Night is an international co-production between Uruguay, Spain, Argentina, France, and Germany. The film was produced by Tornasol Films, Haddock Films, Aleph Media, Alcaraván Films, and Manny Films.
Director Álvaro Brechner spent over four years researching and preparing the project. The script is based on the autobiographical book Memorias del calabozo (Memories from the Dungeon) by Mauricio Rosencof and Eleuterio Fernández Huidobro, two of the Tupamaro prisoners portrayed in the film.
The prison scenes were filmed at the Fort of San Cristóbal near Pamplona, Spain, a location that had been used as a political prison during Franco's dictatorship.
Awards and accolades
A Twelve-Year Night received numerous international awards. The film won the Goya Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2019, awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Spain.[1] The same year, the sound team of Eduardo Esquide, Nacho Royo-Villanova, and Laurent Chassaigne received the European Film Award for Best Sound.[2][3]
In 2018, A Twelve-Year Night won the Golden Pyramid Award at the Cairo International Film Festival.[4][5] The film was also honored as Best Ibero-American Film by the Brazilian Film Academy in 2019.[6]
The film had its world premiere in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival in 2018.[7] It was also selected as the Uruguay'an entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 91st Academy Awards, though it was not nominated.[8]
Critical reception
A Twelve-Year Night received widespread critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 80% approval rating based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10.
The film was praised for its austere cinematography and powerful performances, particularly by Antonio de la Torre as José Mujica. Critics noted Brechner's ability to avoid clichés of the prison drama genre while maintaining emotional intensity.
Italian critics highlighted the film's "atmospheric density" and its focus on the existential struggle of the prisoners rather than political rhetoric. The film was compared favorably to other Latin American films about dictatorship, including Pablo Larraín's work.
Dennis Harvey of Variety praised Brechner's direction, describing the film as "an impressive work" with "technical bravura".[9] IndieWire covered the film's success at the 32nd European Film Awards, highlighting its sound design achievement.[10] Cineuropa noted Brechner's four-year research process to accurately portray "the mental confusion" caused by prolonged solitary confinement.[11]
Historical Context
The film depicts the imprisonment of nine Tupamaro leaders during Uruguay's civic-military dictatorship (1973-1985). The prisoners, considered "hostages" by the military regime, were held in solitary confinement for twelve years under conditions designed to cause psychological breakdown.
José Mujica, one of the three main protagonists, later became President of Uruguay (2010-2015), making him one of the few heads of state to have experienced such prolonged political imprisonment. ```
Awards and Nominations
| Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairo International Film Festival 2018 | Golden Pyramid Award (Best Film) | A Twelve-Year Night | Won | [12] |
| European Film Awards 2019 | Best Sound Designer | Carlos E. García & Daniel Yafalián | Won | [13] |
| Goya Awards 2019 | Best Ibero-American Film | A Twelve-Year Night | Won | [14] |
| Goya Awards 2019 | Best Makeup and Hairstyles | Félix Terrero, Nacho Díaz & Ana López-Puigcerver | Won | [15] |
| Goya Awards 2019 | Best Director | Álvaro Brechner | Nominated | |
| Goya Awards 2019 | Best Original Screenplay | Álvaro Brechner | Nominated | |
| Goya Awards 2019 | Best Cinematography | Carlos Catalán | Nominated | |
| Goya Awards 2019 | Best Editing | Fernando Franco | Nominated | |
| Goya Awards 2019 | Best Sound | Carlos E. García & Daniel Yafalián | Nominated | |
| Goya Awards 2019 | Best Original Score | Federico Jusid | Nominated | |
| Goya Awards 2019 | Best Production Design | Laura Musso | Nominated | |
| Goya Awards 2019 | Best Supporting Actor (Spanish cast) | Antonio de la Torre | Nominated | |
| Goya Awards 2019 | Best Supporting Actor (Spanish cast) | Alfonso Tort | Nominated | |
| Goya Awards 2019 | Best Supporting Actor (Spanish cast) | Chino Darín | Nominated | |
| Platino Awards 2019 | Best Ibero-American Film | A Twelve-Year Night | Nominated | |
| Platino Awards 2019 | Best Director | Álvaro Brechner | Nominated | |
| Platino Awards 2019 | Best Actor | Antonio de la Torre | Nominated | |
| Platino Awards 2019 | Best Screenplay | Álvaro Brechner | Nominated | |
| Platino Awards 2019 | Best Art Direction | Laura Musso | Nominated | |
| Platino Awards 2019 | Best Editing | Fernando Franco | Nominated | |
| Fribourg International Film Festival 2019 | Special Jury Prize | A Twelve-Year Night | Won | |
| Fribourg International Film Festival 2019 | Audience Award | A Twelve-Year Night | Won | |
| Fribourg International Film Festival 2019 | Ecumenical Jury Prize | A Twelve-Year Night | Won |
References
- ↑ 33 Premios Goya 2019 - Winners (in es) (February 2, 2019)Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Spain. Retrieved January 6, 2026.[dead link]
- ↑ European Film Awards: And the Winner is... (November 26, 2019)Eurimages - Council of Europe. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ Awards 2019 (December 7, 2019)European Film Academy. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ 40th Cairo International Film Festival (2018)Cairo International Film Festival. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ "The big winners at the 40th Cairo International Film Festival". The National. November 29, 2018. https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film/the-big-winners-at-the-40th-cairo-international-film-festival-1.797826. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ "La noche de 12 años was chosen as the best Ibero-American film by Brazil's Film Academy" (in es). El País Uruguay. 2019. https://www.elpais.com.uy/tvshow/cine/noche-anos-mejor-pelicula-iberoamericana-academia-cine-brasil.html. Retrieved January 6, 2026.[dead link]
- ↑ 75th Venice International Film Festival (2018)La Biennale di Venezia. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ A Twelve-Year NightIMDb. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ Harvey, Dennis (February 12, 2019). "A Twelve-Year Night Review". Variety. https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/a-twelve-year-night-review-1203110290/. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ "European Film Awards 2019: Full List of Winners". IndieWire. December 7, 2019. https://www.indiewire.com/awards/industry/european-film-awards-2019-winners-1202195299/. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ Álvaro Brechner on A Twelve-Year Night (September 1, 2018)Cineuropa. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ Cairo Film Festival. Retrieved 2026-01-07.
- ↑ 32nd European Film Awards.[dead link]
- ↑ Goya Awards.
- ↑ Goya Awards.
