Unprotected: Murder in Galicia Review: Unprotected: Murder in Galicia (Desprotexida: El crimen de Pazos) is a disturbing true crime documentary which takes a rather traditional approach to reconstructing the murder of Isabel Fuentes in the village of Pazos in Galicia, Spain, in April 2015, keeping the subject matter lingering with the combination of archival material, interviews, and imagery.
Directed and written by Jorge Laplace and produced by True Crime Factory (Crímenes de Carles Porta), Unprotected: Murder in Galicia spans 65 minutes and relies heavily on interviews with investigators, witnesses and people close to the victim, alongside the real-case file. There is not an elaborate narrative structure trying to grab the attention but the people who were a part of the case itself, become the storytellers forming the narration.
Unprotected: Murder in Galicia Review
A Traditional True Crime Approach
The documentary lets the facts speak for themselves. Its dependence on interviews and archival footage might not be visually adventurous in its approach, but it gives the film its rawness and authenticity. The accounts are not interrupted with spectacles or elaborate recreations, which can feel like both an advantage and sometimes even a disadvantage given the heaviness of the film. It allows the people to be the primary players in the documentary, with the case file and the interviews at length becoming the foundation and driving force of the narrative.
However, the visual language is not entirely without unsettling touches. One of the striking elements is the use of the costume associated with Entroido, the Spanish Carnival, particularly the cigarrones, figures known for their fear-inducing appearance, which is introduced in the documentary itself. The imagery finds its way into the documentary, adding an uncomfortable visual quality to an already chaotic and unsettling atmosphere. The choice looks interesting, as the figure itself has a very daunting appearance and their presence complements the rather disturbing nature of the case.
The archival footage, particularly the visuals filled with blood on the floor and the hammer, establishes the brutality of the crime. Honestly, these are not easy images to sit through, and the seriousness of the crime becomes rather clear at the start.
The Investigation, Systemic Failure And Affecting Interview
What makes the documentary feel more than a straightforward reconstruction of the crime is the questions it asks of the system surrounding the case. It does not shy away from establishing what happened to Isabel Fuentes and looks at the different aspects of the legal system, its limitations and the ways in which systemic failures can affect the delivery of justice and even cost a person’s life.
The interviews become particularly striking with the sergeant’s interview, who investigated the crime. His interviews become the emotional centre of the documentary, with his repeated pleas to the judge, visible frustration and the moments when his voice cracks. There is a sense of exhaustion in his words and frustration in the limitations he had to abide by.
Public Image and Gendered Violence
The documentary also explores how a person’s public image can be considerably different from what might be happening behind closed doors. The documentary suggests this with the example of Isabel’s husband, Aniceto Rodriguez, who can have an entirely different image in the eyes of the world, helping establish an impression of innocence. This aspect is particularly significant because it draws attention to how easily appearance can influence the way people perceive a person and a situation.
Towards the end of the documentary, the discussion moves towards gender-based violence. One of its important observations is that there is no fixed template to identify a victim of gendered violence; someone can be cheerful, carry on with their life and look fine while actually experiencing something troubling. The documentary’s exploration of this idea is important as it challenges the association of victimhood towards the outward appearance and reveals the number of deaths of women in Spain.
Final Verdict: A Heavy But Important Watch
The documentary might not even work for everyone. If you prefer true crime viewing to rely on visually cinematic and dramatic reconstruction, Unprotected: Murder in Galicia might feel heavy, dependent on interviews and archival footage. Its storytelling is straightforward, and there are stretches where the experience feels more like listening to the narration of a crime than watching a documentary actively expanding on the subject. There are moments when you wish the documentary would spend a little longer examining the people and circumstances involved, exploring the psychology behind them, rather than moving forward with the account itself.
The documentary is a rather heavy, occasionally unsettling true crime documentary that puts the investigation and the questions surrounding gender-based violence at the centre.
What was the most impactful factor about the documentary for you? Tell us in the comments.
Watch Unprotected: Murder in Galicia on Netflix.
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