Her [Torrent] expression in Cra cuervos is blank and beautiful, her gaze unfaltering. It's no exaggeration to say that there would be no movie without her: so much of the characterisation is embedded in her stillness.

The title refers to the old saying: "Raise ravens and they'll peck your eyes out."

It's unsettling, moving and funny in turn, and a clear criticism of a regime that stifled the Spanish for decades.

...this picture is a passionate invocation to the perhaps ignored impact that everyday occurrences have on children...