El Día de la Bestia (de Alex De la Iglesia)

I first saw El Día de la Bestia three decades ago, and it immediately became much more than just another film for me. Álex de la Iglesia and Jorge Guerricaechevarría created a unique combination of black comedy, horror and social satire, supported by a powerful visual world that became a landmark of Spanish fantastic cinema.

Among all its characters and imagery, The Beast always remained one of the film’s most powerful visual icons. In 2023, through Sergio Rincón, I first had the opportunity to propose the idea of creating a sculptural piece based on the creature as a tribute for the film’s 30th anniversary.

The project remained dormant for a while, until I shared the idea with Ricardo López, who joined me in developing it. Later, through Samuel Melero, I finally had the opportunity to meet Álex personally. He visited our home, where we were able to show him the first digital concept that Ricardo and I had developed over two weekends. From that moment, the project began to take a much more concrete form.

Franco Carlesimo was also instrumental in pushing the project forward. His suggestion was simple: finish the sculpture, print it, have Marisa paint it, and present the finished piece to Álex.

The final prototype was digitally developed by Ricardo López and myself, physically produced with the collaboration of Franco Carlesimo, and painted by Marisa Ferreyra (@oldmother.paint).

For me, this sculpture is ultimately a tribute — to Álex de la Iglesia, to everyone who participated in the creation of the film, and to a work that has remained part of my visual imagination for three decades.

Credits

Concept, Art Direction & Sculpture Development — Martin Canale
Digital Development — Martin Canale & Ricardo López
Prototype Production — Franco Carlesimo
Prototype Paint — Marisa Ferreyra / @oldmother.paint
Initial Project Contact — Sergio Rincón
Introduction to Álex de la Iglesia — Samuel Melero

Original Film — El Día de la Bestia (1995)
Directed by — Álex de la Iglesia
Screenplay — Álex de la Iglesia & Jorge Guerricaechevarría