Few stories have influenced the canon of Western storytelling more than Miguel de Cervantes’ “Don Quixote,” but its author has never received his own moment in the cinematic spotlight. That changes this fall with Alejandro Amenábar’s new film “The Captive,” which follows Cervantes as a 28-year-old sailor in the Spanish Navy who discovers his love of storytelling while confined as a prisoner of war. The film is set to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and IndieWire can exclusively reveal its new trailer.
An official synopsis for the film reads: “1575 — Algiers, Miguel de Cervantes (Julio Peña), a wounded 28-year-old Spanish Navy soldier, is held prisoner by Ottoman corsairs. A cruel death awaits him should his countrymen fail to pay his ransom soon; but within the confines of his cell, Cervantes discovers a surprising refuge — the art of storytelling. Crafted from resilience and hope, his stories enthrall his fellow captives, and capture the attention of Hasan (Alessandro Borghi), the enigmatic and feared Bey of Algiers, igniting a secret affinity between captor and captive. Suspicions rise amidst growing tensions in the city, and Cervantes, driven by an unwavering sense of optimism, devises a daring plan to escape.”
“The Captive” is written and directed by Alejandro Amenábar. The film stars Julio Peña, Alessandro Borghi, Miguel Rellán, Fernando Tejero, Luis Callejo, José Manuel Poga, Roberto Álamo, Albert Salazar, Juanma Muniagurria, César Sarachu, and Jorge Asín.
“The Captive” marks Amenábar’s 11th feature film as a director and his first since 2019’s “While at War.” That film appears to share some DNA with “The Captive,” as they both explore how traumatic events in Spanish history shaped the lives of one of the nation’s most celebrated intellectuals, with “While at War” exploring the life of writer and philosopher Miguel de Unamuno during the Spanish Civil War. The Chilean-Spanish director has worked in a variety of genres over the course of his three-decade career, and IndieWire’s David Ehrlich made the case in 2023 that his film “The Others” deserves to be remembered as one of cinema’s best ghost stories.
Watch the trailer for “The Captive,” an IndieWire exclusive, below.