El lobo
Encyclopedia
El lobo is a 2004 film directed by Miguel Courtois. It stars Eduardo Noriega
.
, an agent of the Spanish
intelligence service
in the 1970s. During the last stages of Franco's dictatorship between 1973 and 1975, Lejarza infiltrated ETA
, a paramilitary group seeking independence for the Basque Country
, and was responsible for the downfall of one quarter of the terrorist activists of the organisation - including Special Forces members and some top-level figures of the group.
Lobo's operation destabilized the terrorist organization at a time when its actions were becoming a perfect validation for the most conservative arm of the Franco regime to take full powers and stop all democratic process in Spain.NPOV
The Lobo operation hindered the terrorists’ plans to escape from the prison where they were held and pursue a campaign of surprise attacks across the country.
Lobo was a man betrayed and ruined by the Spanish dictatorship's secret services, who although at first hiring him to help them stop the ETA
, tried to get rid of him later on when he became less useful. This did not stop Lobo, and he kept on with his mission, which became the most successful ever held against ETA
by the Spanish Government.
Because of his betrayal, ETA sentenced Lobo to death and covered the whole Basque country with search posters of Mikel Lejarza, hoping that their supporters would aid in the capture and destruction of 'the wolf.' As a result Mikel had to change his name and face and disappear without a trace. The memory of Lobo is so vivid to ETA that its members always carry around a bullet bearing his name to kill him if they ever meet or see him.
Spanish Actors Union
Eduardo Noriega (Spanish actor)
Eduardo Noriega Gómez is a Spanish film actor, perhaps best known for his roles in two Alejandro Amenábar films, the multiple Goya Award-winning Tesis and Open Your Eyes . He also starred in The Wolf...
.
Plot
Lobo is based on the life of Mikel LejarzaMikel Lejarza
Mikel Lejarza Eguía was a member of the Spanish intelligence service. During the 1970s, he worked undercover as a double agent infiltrating the Basque separatist organisation ETA. The secret service knew him by the nickname El Lobo...
, an agent of the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
intelligence service
Centro Superior de Información de la Defensa
Centro Superior de Información de la Defensa was the Spanish intelligence agency before the current Centro Nacional de Inteligencia took over as its successor in 2002.-History:...
in the 1970s. During the last stages of Franco's dictatorship between 1973 and 1975, Lejarza infiltrated ETA
ETA
ETA , an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country...
, a paramilitary group seeking independence for the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
, and was responsible for the downfall of one quarter of the terrorist activists of the organisation - including Special Forces members and some top-level figures of the group.
Lobo's operation destabilized the terrorist organization at a time when its actions were becoming a perfect validation for the most conservative arm of the Franco regime to take full powers and stop all democratic process in Spain.NPOV
The Lobo operation hindered the terrorists’ plans to escape from the prison where they were held and pursue a campaign of surprise attacks across the country.
Lobo was a man betrayed and ruined by the Spanish dictatorship's secret services, who although at first hiring him to help them stop the ETA
ETA
ETA , an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country...
, tried to get rid of him later on when he became less useful. This did not stop Lobo, and he kept on with his mission, which became the most successful ever held against ETA
ETA
ETA , an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country...
by the Spanish Government.
Because of his betrayal, ETA sentenced Lobo to death and covered the whole Basque country with search posters of Mikel Lejarza, hoping that their supporters would aid in the capture and destruction of 'the wolf.' As a result Mikel had to change his name and face and disappear without a trace. The memory of Lobo is so vivid to ETA that its members always carry around a bullet bearing his name to kill him if they ever meet or see him.
Nominated
Goya AwardsGoya Awards
The Goya Awards, known in Spanish as los Premios Goya, are Spain's main national film awards, considered by many in Spain, and internationally, to be the Spanish equivalent of the American Academy Awards....
- Best ActorGoya Award for Best ActorThe Goya Award for Best Actor is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards....
(Eduardo Noriega) - Best Production Supervision
- Best Supporting ActressGoya Award for Best Supporting ActressThe Goya Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards....
(Silvia Abascal)
Spanish Actors Union
- Performance in a Minor Role, Male (Santiago Ramos)
- Supporting Performance, Female (Silvia Abascal)