The Story Behind Our Catholic Short Film Pelayo

Many people ask: Who started the Reconquista?

To answer this question, we look to Pelayo, the Catholic Visigoth king of northern Spain. His victory at the Battle of Covadonga marks the beginning of the Reconquista — the eight century long struggle by the Catholic monarchy to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule.

But to understand why this battle mattered, we must first look at how Muslim forces invaded Spain to begin with.

The Muslim Conquest of Spain

In 711, Muslim armies were allowed to cross from North Africa into the Iberian Peninsula by a Spanish traitor. Within only a few years they defeated the Visigoths who at that time were the rulers of Spain.

Most of the peninsula soon came under the control of Al-Andalus, the Muslim-ruled territory in Spain. After a crushing defeat in which the Spanish King Roderick was slain, 300 men escaped to the Asturias Mountains. 

Many believed Christian resistance had come to an end.

But the Asturias Mountains had the advantage of terrain that would prove difficult to conquer.

It was here that Pelayo began his resistance.

Who Was Pelayo?

Pelayo was a Visigothic nobleman who refused to submit to Muslim rule after the conquest of Spain.

Rather than submit to the power of the Muslim invaders, he retreated to the mountains of Asturias.

Pelayo knew that he was perhaps the only man who could hold out against the Muslims and stop them from spreading across Europe.

He gathered a small group of followers in the mountains of Asturias and began a resistance that would eventually grow into the Reconquista.

You can also see this dramatic moment celebrated in our short film Pelayo on Industrious Family Theater.

The Battle of Covadonga

Muslim authorities eventually sent a great force of 10,000 men to suppress Pelayo’s uprising. The two sides met in the mountains near Covadonga.

Akin to the stories of Gideon in the Bible and Leonidas at the Thermopylae Pass, Pelayo and his men were 300 against a mighty force. 

Betrayal was again in the wind as the imposter Bishop Oppas was working directly with the Muslims to overcome the Catholic force.

After the first clash of powers, Pelayo's men retreated. They knew they must continue to fight with every last ounce of strength, but they were discouraged.

That's when a bright light filled the cave in which they were huddled. Mary appeared in the light and told them that when they charged in the name of Christ Jesus they would conquer.

With renewed vigor, the Visigoths left the cave for another battle. Miraculously enough, their small force was aided from On High and they defeated the Moors who retreated in terror when they saw that even the forces of nature had turned against them.

The Muslim arrows shot at the Christians were miraculously turned back upon the attackers, striking the Muslim soldiers instead. 

Pelayo’s small force drove them back, becoming the victors through the aid of Our Lady of Covadonga.

This victory became the spark that ignited the Reconquista — a struggle that would continue for 800 years.

Why This Battle Matters

Pelayo’s victory did more than win a single battle.

It established the Kingdom of Asturias, a Christian stronghold in northern Spain. From this base, Spain began to rise again as a Catholic nation.

And right from the beginning, those who fought to re-establish this kingdom knew that they had the blessing of God and patronage of Our Lady of Covadonga. 

The Story of Pelayo

The events at Covadonga have inspired Christians for centuries. The courage of Pelayo and the miraculous protection of Our Lady became a powerful memory of Faith, perseverance, and hope and did much to influence the Spanish heroes that followed including El Cid, Queen Isabella and Don Juan of Austria.

We found this story so inspiring that we decided to celebrate the event in a short historical film called Pelayo.

Our goal with the film was to help audiences remember the dramatic moment when a small band of Christians stood against overwhelming odds in the mountains of Asturias. The film features the tension between Pelayo and Bishop Oppas, the great faith of Pelayo and his followers, and the apparition of Our Lady of Covadonga.

Today, you can watch this story unfold on Industrious Family Theater, our streaming platform dedicated to sharing Catholic historical and family-friendly films.

Behind the Scenes: Why We Made Pelayo

Pelayo’s story immediately stood out to us.

It’s not just a battle story.

It’s a story about courage in defending the Faith, trusting in God when everything seems impossible, and Our Lady's unfailing care for those who trust in her.

This is the kind of stories we love sharing with families.

That was why we felt the call to share this story in film. The result was Pelayo, a short film about the man who started the Reconquista.

Our studio was still growing. Making Pelayo challenged us to develop new skills in filmmaking, storytelling, and historical films.

It became a first in many ways.

It was the first time we organized and practiced battle sequences.

We had just gotten our Sennheiser microphone and so we were experimenting with it for the first time.

We also filmed the entire film in two weeks with just three shoot days.

It was also the first time that we edited a film to be the popular modern aspect ratio 16:9.

This project helped us grow what would eventually become Industrious Family Theater, where you can now watch the short film Pelayo.

More importantly, we believe Pelayo's story still matters today. The courage of this king, the faith of his followers, and the courage shown at Covadonga continue to inspire.

A Photo Gallery from the Making of Pelayo

Here are a few moments from behind the scenes of our film.

Making a film is always an adventure and we are happy to give you a behind-the-scenes peek at what goes into it.

Here you can see full cast pictures, the battle practices, as well as in the moment pictures while the cameras are rolling.

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Watch Pelayo on Industrious Family Theater

Pelayo is just one of the films we share on Industrious Family Theater.

Our mission is simple:

Help families discover independent Catholic movies, inspiring stories, and wholesome entertainment. 

If you enjoy historical films like Pelayo, be sure to explore the rest of our site to find:

• Catholic movie reviews
• Family-friendly film recommendations
• Inspiring historical stories
• And more originals from Industrious Family Films

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