While looking for Spanish Netflix series in Galicia the following movie caught my attention: Eye for an Eye, also known for it’s Spanish title Quien a hierro mata. It appears to be an impressive story that’s located in Galicia. The movie is also noted as the ‘anti intouchables’. Well, that creates some expectations!
The movie takes places in the surroundings of Cambados at the Rias Baixas, the former centre of drug trafficking. The movie is pure fiction, but the history does (unfortunately) fit perfectly in this part of Galicia. The story has been told before, the many drug transports and drug addicts that followed on the easy entrance to the stuff that happened in the 80’s and 90’s. Against this history acts the movie Eye for an eye.
The original title of the movie is A quien hierro mata. This title originates from the saying ‘Quien a hierro mata, a hierro muere‘. Translated into English this would be: ‘Who lives by the sword, dies by the sword‘. Nevertheless for the title they have chosen for Eye for an Eye.
The story of the movie Eye for an Eye
In short: a drugs lord is in search for rest at the end of his live. A nurse is looking for revanche. When their roads cross no one is safe.
Main characters of the movie are nurse Mario (Luis Tosar) and the old drug lord Antonio Padín (Xan Jegudo). Mario works as a nurse in a nursing home. When he was younger, about 2 decades ago, his brother was addicted to drugs and dead from an overdose. Today Marco has a wife and they are expecting their first child.
The movie starts when drug lord Antonio gets released from jail. He chooses to move to a nursing home, against the will of his sons who are running his drug business. Antonio suffers from getting older and a partial paralysis. He wants to stand back from the drug business and get some rest in his last days. When he enters the nursery home Antonio ends up in the good (?) hands of Mario. Can they both let the past rest?
The movie starts to get interesting when Mario and Antonio cross each other and the story develops very interesting. Empathy is put to a test. Who do you symphatize with?
The end of the movie will definitely affect you and will get you thinking. What has happened, how long can the past affects the future, what is good and what is wrong? Food for thought!
Did Antinio Padín really exist?
Drug lord Antonio Padín is not a real character. Galicia has got many capo’s, but this name is not part of it. Nevertheless the name Padín can sound familiair. Somebody with this last name played a huge part in the dismantling of the drug networks at the end of the ’80’s. There was a guy named Padín who worked for the clan of the Charlines. Later he stepped over to the police to judge against the drug lords. This history can be read in the fantastic book Fariña, that also can be seen in the series Cocaine Coast on Netflix. I would recommend it, it’s my favourite series in Galicia.
Trailer Quien a hierro mata
You can watch the series on Netflix.
The history of drug trafficking in Galicia is an interesting subject for series and movies. As recommend before, if you would like to see an exciting tv series based on a real story, have a look at Cocaine Coast / Fariña.
A fictional series with a drug lord as main character is Vivir sin permiso.
Have a look at my list with tv series in Galicia.
