Dhruv Sharma
Netflix’s ‘Offering of the Storm’, which is the third and final part of the Baztan Trilogy, has a lot to offer for thriller hounds. The film picks up exactly where its previous installment left and gives a satisfying conclusion to the entire series. Now, since the movie series is not exactly a typical crime drama and involves supernatural elements as well, it becomes pretty obvious that it’s not entirely based on a true story. However, most viewers must be wondering if its crime setting, characters, or mythological references draw inspiration from real life or not. Well, here’s the answer.
Is Offering of the Storm Based on a True Story?
No, ‘Offering of the Storm’ is not based on a true story. It is an adaptation of a novel of the same name. ‘Offering of the Storm’ is the third installment of a novel series called the Baztan Trilogy. The first two installments of the book series have already received movie adaptations, both of which are available on Netflix.
If you’ve already watched the movie series, you’ll know that it draws its inspiration from Baztan’s folklore. The beliefs and significance surrounding the lore of any given community are ever-changing. So one cannot tell if folklore has any realism to it or not. However, urban legends and folklore often reflect upon the social conditioning and beliefs of a given group. Using this as a cue, the author of the series reflects on the dark traditions and belief systems of the Baztan Country. In one of her interviews, the author, Dolores Redondo, also explained that she grew up in Baztan Country and was always fascinated by the location’s rich folklore. Due to this, she later ended up traversing her knowledge of Baztan folklore into her novels.
Along with that, the author also added that the crime plot of her books draws its inspiration from the real ritualistic practices of the Baztan Country. Her references to witches come from the 17th century, where Baztan women were often accused of practicing witchcraft because of their extensive knowledge of herbal medicines and pagan Basque mythology. During the Spanish Inquisition, these women were captured and even burned out of hatred. Although the author never comments on this oppression, she only uses powerful female figures in her trilogy to portray the strength and solidarity of women in the present world.
Before writing down the books, the author also extensively researched legal and police procedurals. This explains why the investigation process depicted in the movies seems pretty believable. On than that, on her official website, Dolores Redondo also mentions that the criminal setting of her book is inspired by the real crimes of a couple, who sacrificed their own child during the ritualistic practices of a cult. Thus, although the Baztan Trilogy is clearly a work of fiction, it makes several references to real-life crimes, the author’s experiences, and Baztan mythology.
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