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Errementari, also known as The Blacksmith and the Devil, is a 2017 internationally co-produced Basque-language period fantasy horror film. Directed by Paul Urkijo Alijo, it’s based on the Basque folktale version of The Smith and the Devil, as collected by Father Joxemiel Barandiaran. The film sets the legend in 1843, during the First Carlist War.
In the village of Araba, a blacksmith named Francisco Patxi survives execution with the aid of a demon. Eight years later, government investigator Alfredo Ortiz arrives in Araba, searching for Patxi. The villagers mistrust Ortiz due to their history during the war.
An orphan girl named Usue, with a burn-scarred face, accidentally releases the demon Sartael from Patxi’s captivity. Sartael kidnaps Usue and promises to return her in exchange for Patxi’s soul. The film unfolds as a battle between the blacksmith, the demon, and the townsfolk who seek to save Usue.
