Plot Summary of Pan's Labyrinth

          Pan's Labyrinth tells the story of a young girl named Ofelia who is intrigued by fantasy and one day encounters a fantastical world upon traveling to the forest wherein her stepfather is stationed. It is the time of the Spanish Civil War, during which time Spain was under the rule of a fascist regime. When Ofelia travels to the forests where her stepfather awaits, this becomes all too apparent as the story falls on the backdrop of a struggle between the fascist army, in which her stepfather is an officer, and armed rebels. Ofelia's mother is in the late stages of pregnancy, yet is driven to travel to the outpost as its father, Captain Vidal, desires that it be near him so that he might supervise his son's birth. While there Ofelia encounters a fantastical creature, a fairy, which at first appears to simply be some kind of insect. However, it soon makes its true nature apparent and proceeds to lead her into the ruins of an ancient labyrinth. Within the labyrinth there resides a fawn, the keeper of the fairy, who proceeds to reveal her fantastical origins. Upon revealing them, he proceeds to bestow her with three tasks that she must complete before the moon is full in order to return to her own world.