La Playa de Los Ahogados Cast

The cast of La Playa de los Ahogados (The Beach of the Drowned) features Carmelo Gómez as Inspector Leo Caldas, Antonio Garrido as Rafael Estévez, and Pedro Alonso as Marcos Valverde. This 2015 Spanish crime thriller, directed by Gerardo Herrero, also stars Luis Zahera, Celso Bugallo, Celia Freijeiro, and Marta Larralde in key supporting roles.

Principal Cast Members

Carmelo Gómez as Inspector Leo Caldas

Carmelo Gómez leads the film as Leo Caldas, the laconic Galician inspector investigating a mysterious death. Born on January 2, 1962, in Sahagún, León, Gómez has built a distinguished career in Spanish cinema. He’s a two-time Goya Award winner, receiving Best Supporting Actor for The Method (2005) and Best Leading Actor for Running Out of Time (2015). His previous collaborations with director Gerardo Herrero include Frozen Silence (2011) and Crime with a View of the Sea.

Gómez graduated from Madrid’s RESAD (Royal School of Dramatic Arts) and made his feature film debut in Voyage to Nowhere (1986). His notable works include Cows (1992), Between Your Legs (1999), and The Night of the Sunflowers (2006). In 2013, he received the Nacho Martinez award at the Gijón International Film Festival.

Antonio Garrido as Rafael Estévez

Antonio Garrido plays Rafael Estévez, Caldas’s assistant from Aragon who struggles to understand Galician culture and its people. Estévez provides a contrasting perspective to Caldas’s introspective nature, bringing a more direct approach to the investigation. Garrido’s filmography includes Fin, La chispa de la vida, and numerous Spanish television series.

The dynamic between Caldas and Estévez mirrors the original novel’s portrayal of two investigators from vastly different backgrounds working together to solve crimes in Galicia’s coastal communities.

Pedro Alonso as Marcos Valverde

Pedro Alonso portrays Marcos Valverde, a character central to the film’s mystery. Born on June 21, 1971, in Vigo, Pontevedra, Galicia, Alonso gained international recognition for his role as Andrés “Berlin” de Fonollosa in Netflix’s Money Heist (La Casa de Papel). His performance in that series earned him the “International Star of the Year” award from GQ Turkey magazine in 2018.

Before his global fame, Alonso was well-known in Spanish television for his role as Diego Murquía in Gran Hotel (2011-2013) and appearances in The Ministry of Time (2015). He also starred in Amazon Prime Video’s first Latin American drama series, Diablo Guardian, released in May 2018. In 2023, he reprised his Berlin character in a spin-off series of the same name.

Luis Zahera as José Arias

Luis Zahera brings depth to the role of José Arias. Born on May 23, 1966, in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Zahera is one of Spain’s most respected character actors. He won the Goya Award for Best Supporting Actor twice: first in 2019 for his performance in The Realm, and again in 2023 for his powerful portrayal of Xan in The Beasts (As Bestas).

Zahera’s career spans decades in Galician and Spanish film and television. He’s known for Cell 211 (2009), Mondays in the Sun, and the TV series Sky Rojo and Wrong Side of the Tracks. In January 2024, he received Spain’s Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts.

Supporting Cast

Tamar Novas as Diego Neira (Carpenter)

Tamar Novas plays Diego Neira, the carpenter, a character with significance to the investigation’s timeline and events.

Celia Freijeiro as Ana

Celia Freijeiro portrays Ana, Marcos Valverde’s wife. Freijeiro has appeared in numerous Spanish productions, including De chica en chica and various television series.

Marta Larralde as Alicia Castelo

Marta Larralde takes on the role of Alicia Castelo, connected to the victim Justo Castelo and the mystery surrounding his death.

Celso Bugallo as Caldas’s Father

Celso Bugallo plays Inspector Caldas’s father, providing insights into the protagonist’s personal life and Galician roots. Bugallo is a veteran Galician actor with extensive experience in regional and Spanish cinema.

Additional Cast Members

The film features an ensemble of talented Spanish actors:

Darío Loureiro as Diego Neira (young) Lucía Regueiro as Rebeca Neira Carlos Blanco as Hermida Fernando Morán as Manuel Trabazo Rosa Álvarez as Lola (Trabazo’s wife) Déborah Vukusic as Clara García Luis Iglesia as Guzmán Barrio (forensic doctor) Fran Peleteiro as Ferro Vicente Montoto as Alberto (Caldas’s uncle) María Vázquez as Irene Vázquez (pharmacist) Ernesto Chao as Somoza Celso Parada as Dueño Eligio Pepo Suevos as Sub-inspector Lanja Belén Constenla as Arias’s neighbor Rei Chao as Antonio Sousa Manolo Romón as hospital doctor

Behind the Camera

Director: Gerardo Herrero

Gerardo Herrero directed La Playa de los Ahogados, bringing his experience as both a filmmaker and producer. Born on January 28, 1953, in Madrid, Herrero founded Tornasol Films in 1987 with Javier López Blanco. He served as President of the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1993 to 1994.

As a producer, Herrero achieved international success with The Secret in Their Eyes (2009), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. His directorial works include Comanche Territory (1997), which was entered into the 47th Berlin International Film Festival, Malena es un nombre de tango (1996), and Frozen Silence (2011).

Herrero has directed multiple films with Carmelo Gómez, developing a productive working relationship. His recent works include Under Therapy (2023), which won the Special Jury Prize at the Málaga Film Festival.

Screenwriters: Domingo Villar and Felipe Vega

The screenplay was adapted by novelist Domingo Villar and screenwriter Felipe Vega from Villar’s novel “La playa de los ahogados” (originally published in Galician as “A praia dos afogados”).

Domingo Villar (1971-2022) was a Galician crime writer from Vigo who created the Inspector Leo Caldas series. His first novel, “Ojos de agua” (Water Eyes), won multiple awards including the Brigada 21 Prize and was a finalist for the Crime Thriller Awards in the United Kingdom. “La playa de los ahogados,” his second novel, secured his reputation internationally and has been translated into more than 15 languages.

Villar passed away in Vigo on May 18, 2022, at age 51, after suffering a stroke. His novels captured the atmosphere of Galicia’s coastal communities and the complexity of regional identity.

Production Details

Filming Locations

Principal photography took place in Galicia, specifically in Nigrán and Vigo. Exterior scenes were filmed at Madorra Beach and Panxón, authentic Galician coastal locations that provide the film’s atmospheric backdrop. The production began in May 2014.

The choice of these locations grounds the story in authentic maritime culture, essential to the novel’s themes and the investigation’s context.

Music

Lucio Godoy composed the film’s score, creating an evocative soundtrack that complements the coastal mystery. Godoy’s music adds tension and atmosphere to the investigation.

Production Companies

Tornasol Films (Gerardo Herrero and Mariela Besuievsky), Milou Films (Elisa Saldaña), and Foresta Films (Carlos Rodríguez) produced the film. The Spanish distribution was handled by Syldavia Cinema.

The Story

La Playa de los Ahogados follows Inspector Leo Caldas as he investigates the death of fisherman Justo Castelo, whose body washes ashore with his hands tied behind his back. Without witnesses or any trace of the fishing vessel Castelo was working on, Caldas must navigate the tight-lipped fishing community of a Galician coastal village.

The investigation leads Caldas and his assistant Estévez through layers of secrets, connecting the present case to a mysterious shipwreck that occurred years earlier. The film explores themes of silence, suspicion, and the weight of the past in small maritime communities.

Reception and Release

The film premiered in Spanish cinemas on October 9, 2015. It received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the cast’s performances—particularly Carmelo Gómez and Antonio Garrido—and the atmospheric cinematography of Galicia’s landscapes. The 96-minute film was later made available on streaming platforms including Netflix.

Critics appreciated the film’s portrayal of Galician fishing culture and coastal life. Reviews noted that while the pacing was deliberate, the actors successfully brought depth to their thinly sketched characters through skilled performance and suggestion rather than explicit development.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who plays the main detective in La Playa de los Ahogados?

Carmelo Gómez plays Inspector Leo Caldas, the main detective. He’s accompanied by Antonio Garrido as his assistant Rafael Estévez throughout the investigation.

Is Pedro Alonso from Money Heist in this film?

Yes, Pedro Alonso appears in La Playa de los Ahogados as Marcos Valverde. He filmed this role years before his international breakthrough as Berlin in Money Heist.

Was the film based on a book?

The film adapts Domingo Villar’s novel “La playa de los ahogados,” the second book in his Inspector Leo Caldas series. Villar himself co-wrote the screenplay with Felipe Vega.

Where was La Playa de los Ahogados filmed?

Filming took place in Galicia, Spain, specifically in Nigrán and Vigo, with beach scenes shot at Madorra Beach and Panxón. These locations are in Pontevedra province.

The cast of La Playa de los Ahogados brings together experienced Spanish actors who effectively capture the novel’s atmosphere of maritime mystery. Carmelo Gómez anchors the film with his portrayal of the introspective Inspector Caldas, while the supporting cast—from Pedro Alonso’s pre-Money Heist performance to Luis Zahera’s characteristically strong work—creates a believable community hiding dark secrets. Director Gerardo Herrero’s third collaboration with Gómez demonstrates their established working relationship, though the film received less attention than their previous thriller Frozen Silence. The ensemble cast successfully translates Domingo Villar’s literary creation to screen, preserving the distinctly Galician character of the source material.