28 September 2026
In 1944 Francoist Spain, Pan’s Labyrinth follows a young girl, Ofelia, who refuses to accept her new home with her sadistic stepfather, a captain serving Franco’s fascist regime. She escapes from the harsh reality of her home into a secret world where she meets with a faun who tells her she's a princess and that she must prove her worthiness by completing three dangerous tasks.
Fed up with the oppressive world of her stepfather, Ofelia turns to her imagination to live the surreal. In a labyrinth, she discovers hidden paths and encounters mysterious fairies who guide her on her journey. In times of darkness, it is the power of imagination that can keep hope alive for a better future.
Pan’s Labyrinth was widely acclaimed by audiences and film industry upon its release in 2006. With stunning visuals and fairytale story the film presents an act of political resistance. In 2026 the film celebrates its 20th anniversary and we are excited to present it in Rotterdam as part of the exhibition Live the Surreal.
About the exhibition
The exhibition explores Surrealism not as a purely European art movement, but as a global way of thinking: a creative and activist mindset that has taken shape across different periods, continents and cultures. Just like Ofelia's world in Pan’s Labyrinth, the exhibition invites how imagination can become a way of navigating and resisting times of oppression and uncertainty.
Extra program: Exhibition tour
Join a special and slightly spooky tour through the Surrealism exhibition that invites to slow down and trigger your imagination. Guided by the museum's teachers, you are invited to speculate: What will you discover if you look closely to the artworks? What are the pieces telling you?
Schedule:
- 19:00 Exhibition open
- 19:10 start of guided tours through the exhibition Live the Surreal
- 20:00 Pan’s Labyrinth
- 22:15 End film and end event
The film will be shown in the Spanish original version with English subtitles.
Drinks and popcorn for sale at the museum.
