Original subtitles

We have a wonderful moon tonight.

It's a privilege to be here.

I thank all of you.

-How are you feeling? -Good.

Good enough to continue or just to hold on a little longer?

-I can continue. -Looks like you're suffering.

My hands are really cold.

Everybody else's hands are warm.

Your hands could be too. But it looks like you're suffering.

Yes, I can take it.

I can take it.

You're missing your chance.

Your team's gone.

They didn't wait for you. There must be a reason, right?

20 HOURS EARLIER

G.E.O. BASE GUADALAJARA

The Special Operations Group was created in 1978.

Very few make it into the National Police's elite corps.

They fight terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime.

They are the last resort of the State.

Let's go, gentlemen, let's get started!

DAY 1: 100 officers have passed the pre-entry tests for the G.E.O. course.

It is one of the most demanding training courses in the world.

Perhaps none of them will make it to become a G.E.O. operative.

The standard in this course will be, not 100%,

but 500%.

Because the standard in this unit is 500% as well.

HEAD COMMISSIONER CHIEF OF G.E.O. / G.O.E.S.

G.E.O. COURSE PHYSICAL FITNESS TESTS NATIONAL POLICE SCHOOL, ÁVILA

In a tactical unit like the G.E.O., there is no improvisation.

There is an immediate response,

an urgent response based on previous training,

on daily training, not only physical, but also psychological and tactical.

From the very first second,

the police officers who wish to join the G.E.O. have to know that.

It's going to be their way of life.

It is a way of life.

The instructors I have selected to teach this course

know they have an enormous responsibility.

We can't get it wrong.

Not for the police and not for these police officers.

We can't get it wrong.

As I call your names, I will give you your number.

Remember that number.

Number five, Alonso Arribas.

Number six, Acha Fernández.

-92? -91, Salinas.

I like to observe people's body language.

It says a lot more than words.

I'm not interested in what you're doing in that moment.

I'll look at you a minute later to see how you handle it,

to see how you look at your partner.

I don't care about your mask.

I'm not looking at your face, I'm looking beyond that.

INSPECTOR PELAYO G.E.O. COURSE DIRECTOR

I will give a very clear instruction.

You have 10 seconds to carry it out.

You are to put the armband on your right arm, do you understand?

Sit down.

All phones off.

Let this be the last time I see someone walking from point A to point B.

From this point on, everyone is constantly being evaluated.

-Any questions? -No.

Now Deputy Inspector Mejías will be giving you a series of orders

to be fulfilled as soon as possible. We have a very tight schedule.

Seven and a half months isn't a lot of time.

From now on, the only staircase you can use is the service staircase.

The one you used to come up.

You cannot use the spiral staircase, nor the elevator.

You have to earn those privileges.

When you hear your name, go and get your ID card done.

Done. Next.

Eighteen.

-Number 10? -Yes.

I would hurry up.

Put in the weapon, as it is, locked, with the safety on, the two magazines,

telephone, watch and personal identification.

I wasn't given instructions, so I brought it in.

Did anyone ask you anything? Come on.

As soon as they arrived, we took all their belongings from them.

Their cell phones, money,

wallet, identification...

We had them put everything in a bag

like the ones used for prisoners.

Number 16.

-Are you number 16? -Yes.

They kind of lose their identity.

They no longer have a first or last name. They become a number.

Just a number.

On your feet!

We know how excited you are about all this.

I congratulate you for having made it this far,

because many other National Police officers did not make it.

And in no way is that a failure.

You might have a lot of enthusiasm

and think that you have all the skills to become a G.E.O. member,

but, over the coming days, some of you are going to discover that you don't.

In any case, for those of you who do not pass,

it will be an accumulated experience in your professional history

that will surely enrich you.

Today we'll begin the teambuilding phase of the course.

Do you know what the inclined ground position is?

It's this. With our backpacks on, we wait like this.

Let's go! Now!

Come on! Everybody, inclined ground position!

We'll wait for our colleagues to arrive, at their own leisure, no rush.

If you are told a specific time, you are there at that time.

We're off to a very bad start.

Obedience in life

is one of the basic values in the National Police.

We are a hierarchical force,

and they should already have learned that lesson.

In a tactical unit, this is followed a lot more to the letter.

To be a G.E.O. member is to be a National Police officer.

It is one more implication of this pride of belonging

that all policemen have just because they're policemen.

You can't be in the G.E.O. without sacrifice.

You cannot be in the G.E.O. without dedication.

You cannot be in the G.E.O. without training.

These are qualities common to all National Police officers.

But the G.E.O. officer, when he acts, is like a surgeon

who has to know perfectly where to place the scalpel,

and cannot slip up by a millimeter.

Because that's the difference between the success or failure of an operation.

-Should we do another lap? -Yes!

-Yes or no? -Yes!

You have to be fully committed to be in the G.E.O.,

you have to want to be here 200%,

because the moments of weakness will come.

The hard times will come, it's just a matter of time.

Both during the course and in operational life.

Are you willing to endure them?

That's the big question.

And that's what I'm going to help them answer.

You can't go on?

Armband.

Relax.

-Hey. Well done, okay? -What? Yes.

-Okay? -Yes.

-Damn it. -Come on.

In Trillo, the true nature,

the soul of each person comes out.

TRILLO G.E.O. TRAINING CAMP

The deepest parts of us come out.

You can't help it. You can't hide it. It's impossible.

On the double! Come on!

Come on, on the double!

Take your partner's pack as well, not just yours. Let's go!

What are we waiting for? Let's go!

-Come on, don't walk! -Get everything, then we'll sort them out.

The last one gets a prize.

Let's go, the last one wins a prize, gentlemen!

-Let's go! -What is this, summer camp?

-Come on! -Let's go. All the backpacks. Come on.

Silently! Move silently!

Quickly and silently!

Come on, with me! Let's go!

-Faster! -Fall in.

-Come on, Charlie! -Charlie!

Quiet!

Mathematics never fails. That's also an axiom of life.

Exact sciences, they call them, right?

We start with the numbers we gave them, right?

One hundred have arrived. There aren't enough spots for everyone.

That's not a threat, it's not to put pressure on them.

It's a fact.

Mathematics tells me that I have more than 80 extra police officers here.

The sooner you come to the conclusion that the G.E.O.

may not be the most suitable future for you,

the easier it will be for all of us.

Whoever overcomes this

will experience being part

of the most operationally-capable unit there is.

But the G.E.O. is not meant for everyone.

That's the way it is. That's a fact. Mathematics.

Do you understand?

-Do you all understand? -Yes!

There is only one speed here.

If you can't keep up, you go home.

You can't take it? If you can't, ask for a discharge.

I want planks, gentlemen.

Yes, Instructor!

As soon as they arrive, they face an absolutely...

wild, crazy pace.

They have to feel the pressure, they have to feel the suffocation,

the foot on their necks, stomping on them, suffocating them.

And, if possible, they have to think it's going to get worse.

The worse they think it's going, the better job I'm doing.

Let's go, gentlemen, come on!

How does the G.E.O. work?

This looks like a carnival. We work quickly and quietly!

I don't want to see a gap in the formation.

-Do you understand? -Yes, Instructor.

We work 24/7 here.

Let's go!

Okay, repeat that message.

There's been a dropout or an injury?

Negative. Not a dropout, he's limping.

Can he continue?

He wants to, but he has cramps and he'll have to walk...

Talk to his team leader and redistribute his load immediately.

He's not a dropout, he's just having a one-time problem.

-Yes. -Get them to snap out of it.

Got it.

No one here goes into an operation by himself.

No job is performed individually.

We are all cogs in a machine and we have to function as a team.

Can everyone hear me?

-Yes! -Yes, Instructor.

Very good.

The four who were falling behind, come out, please.

These four men were falling behind. They are a problem.

Since they are a problem for all of you,

you are going to distribute the weight of their packs among your packs.

Our mission is to get to a destination, right?

-We must get there. -Yes.

We all have to get there.

We have what we have, the weight we have, the bags we have,

the gear assigned to us by command.

Think about how we are going to do it and function as commandos.

Proceed.

-Yes. -Yes, Instructor.

Do you know what your problem is?

You want to carry on and you don't care about your colleagues.

Because you only see competitors

who want to take your place.

You are not a team!

Who is doing the worst of all?

-Listen up! -It's an easy question,

who is doing the worst of all?

The worst.

There is always a worst one.

Having a hard time? Give me your backpack.

You have to set an example, right?

Ready.

Stand in columns of twos.

-We'll divide it up. -Eighty-nine.

I would be ashamed. That's all I'm saying.

Let's keep moving.

We are all cogs in a machine.

The small cog and the big cog work the same.

If one wheel is missing, nothing else works.

It is the DNA of the G.E.O. to function in unison.

It's what we know how to do.

Since it's all about mathematics,

have you counted how many days there are in 30 weeks?

Have any of you counted how many days there are in 30 weeks?

That building is going to be your living area.

It needs to be made suitable.

Now. Now!

Come on. Quickly, gentlemen. Let's go!

Let's get it together now! Hurry up!

Why are we standing still? What's wrong? Why are we not moving?

Come on, jogging on the spot. No standing still. Jog.

They don't know where they are.

The accommodation is not a hotel room.

They won't have their food sitting in a restaurant either.

I'm sure some of them have never been in a bivouac in the field,

eating whatever they can find.

We're not on a holiday, we are in a phase of a special operations course,

and we have to see how they react. Maybe not everyone reacts the same way.

Anybody who joins will have to earn their position, their place.

You have to prove that you are who you are and you're good enough for this.

It's hard, it's very hard.

Very tough on your mind, very tough physically...

And people who aren't sure that this is their thing

or this is what they really want, they're going to leave.

Some of you already know that you won't finish the course.

Ask to be discharged now.

When an order is given, we all follow it.

Okay? We don't duck out.

Even if it's at night, even if no one is watching,

your conscience is watching.

Are we clear on that?

Yes.

You have 30 weeks left.

You still have no idea of what's in store for you.

Sixty-four, they're calling you.

Careful, it's tilting.

-Careful, careful. -Okay, hold the bucket.

Come on! Here in front, somebody.

Team leaders, water buckets!

Hold here.

I can get through here, no problem.

Teams! Boat up!

-Up! -On the count of three.

Two, three.

Careful. Hold it.

Come on.

Get it up.

-Careful. -Up.

We need someone up front!

Hold on! Come on, switch!

Come on, both of you! Switch now.

Switch places one by one.

Run faster. Come on, run faster!

The faster you run, the more water you get and the heaver it gets.

Team leaders, water bucket.

He's not even trying.

If you're not helping, your teammates are carrying more weight.

Watch out.

One, two, up.

Move up a little. We have to compensate here.

You spent all morning trying to skip the exercises. Laughing.

Everyone keeps telling you that you're laughing all the time.

-Like you think things are funny. -No, far from it.

You have little time left, because if you don't leave, I'll throw you out.

If any of you turns in your number,

the rest of you are excused from carrying the boats.

-You can turn it in, too. -Shoulder up.

One, two, three, up!

The back is falling.

Lower the boat.

It's falling.

On your shoulder!

Distribute the weight better. Get the boat up.

One, two, three, up!

-Up! -Coordination, gentlemen.

Strength comes from the team, but we're nothing without coordination.

Help here. Team leaders.

-Yes. -Yes.

-We need a replacement here. -On my way.

That's it. Talk, collaborate. If I'm not carrying weight,

I speak. I try to help out. I don't look at the instructor

so I can push when he's looking at me. That won't work.

Do you know this boat is going to save our lives on the high seas?

Yes, Instructor!

Lower the boat.

Do you get what this is all about?

This could be a long night, anyone want to call it quits now?

-Empty it. -Gently.

All together.

Team leaders, help here.

One, two, three, now!

Number four from team Bravo is asking to be discharged.

Go find the Deputy Inspector and give him the armband.

Let's continue with the training.

Now you are going to take your partner and carry their weight.

Now!

Internalizing that your partner's safety

depends on you and yours depends on him is critical from day one.

We're often outside on missions, we're isolated.

That feeling of having a duty of care for your buddy,

of doing everything you can to get him home safe and sound, is essential.

And whoever doesn't have that spirit is out on the street.

Number 74 is a dropout, 74.

I'm not going to be their friend nor their acquaintance.

I have to work from a very objective point of view

to try and determine whether I would want to have them working with me

or any of my colleagues in the future.

Whoever you select,

the person who you bet on to be your partner tomorrow,

is going to be with you in Afghanistan protecting an embassy,

or is going to be with you on a ship at sea in a storm,

or is going to be with you being assaulted

by perhaps the most dangerous person we can imagine.

So, it's a very serious responsibility, I would say.

Take off all your clothes, leaving your number on your right arm.

The G.E.O., among its many assigned duties,

has diving missions

and ship-boarding missions on the high seas.

And, in both, we could suffer hypothermia at any time.

Hypothermia is felt when the human body temperature

drops by approximately two degrees.

It goes from mild to moderate and from moderate to severe.

Mild hypothermia is a state of mind and can be mastered.

Mastering the sensation of mild hypothermia

will be the difference between us living

or becoming a corpse floating in the middle of the Atlantic.

It is not easy to get people's demons out of them,

to get their fears out, to bring out what they really think,

the essence of the situation.

The Tagus makes it easy for you.

What you're feeling is just the first dip.

The cold shock you feel when you hit the water.

It is a thermal sensation that we can totally master.

We have a wonderful moon tonight.

It's a privilege to be here.

I thank all of you.

We're going to hold our breath for 10 seconds underwater. Now.

All right. I'm going to say it one more time.

We mentally count to 10 with our heads completely submerged under the water

and then we come out.

It's up to you guys whether we do it again and again.

Water.

Instructor, I'm out.

Give me your armband.

Get dressed.

Number 18, voluntary discharge.

You still have 20 minutes left.

Eleven, how long is a nautical mile?

1,852 meters.

I like that.

Not being able to speak clearly is one of the first symptoms

-of mild hypothermia. -At your command.

But we can go on.

Yes, Instructor.

Let's see for how long.

If anyone wants to quit, you just have to get out of the water.

And that's the end of the suffering.

Because there's still a long way to go.

Yes, Instructor.

Hypothermia is something that comes with the territory.

And with hypothermia comes the fear of death.

And that can paralyze you completely.

Fear is a subjective feeling.

You learn to manage it.

Yes? Come out, please.

Give me your number and come out.

Total number of dropouts so far?

Twelve. Roger that.

I don't like to say that I don't feel fear.

But it's a feeling

I've experienced so many times before, in dangerous situations,

that I consider it as my own. When it comes, I know it.

And it helps me clear my mind, and think.

If something exists and you can't make it disappear,

handle it.

Out of the water quietly. Get dressed. Now!

I've seen herds of wildebeest stealthier than you on nature shows.

What is it, cramps?

Negative.

-Should we call the doctor? -No.

What's the point of prolonging the agony?

This will not subside, gentlemen.

If you'll be back here in an hour and quit,

save yourself that hour and save us all time.

Two of your colleagues have been honest.

They realized that this was not for them.

They have handed in their armband, and it's fine.

They have seen what this is about.

We thank them for it.

They're not punishing themselves anymore.

Huh, 47?

Who wants to give me their armband?

47 and 49 are hesitating.

Who wants to go home and sleep warm?

Come on.

Let's go.

It's no disgrace.

Be honest with yourselves.

What are you waiting for? To be back in the water in 20 minutes?

This isn't going to get better. It'll only get worse.

-Are you okay, 47? -Come on, 47.

No, Instructor.

The ambulance's right there. Are you okay?

Yes, Instructor.

-Can you continue? -Yes.

-Are you sure? -Yes, Instructor.

Charlie, get out of here.

Come on, we're leaving, gentlemen. Ready or not.

This is just the beginning, gentlemen.

-How are you feeling? -Good.

Good enough to continue or just to hold on a little longer?

-I can continue. -Looks like you're suffering.

My hands are really cold.

Everybody else's hands are warm.

Your hands could be too. But it looks like you're suffering.

Yes, I can take it.

I can take it.

You're missing your chance.

Your team's gone.

They didn't wait for you. There must be a reason, right?

If you're sure you want to continue, that's fine. We will help you.

But we will help you like this. By pushing you to the limit.

You must decide how you want to get out of here.

If you want to try to go all the way,

or if you're not sure, a timely withdrawal is a victory.

It's as simple as that.

That's it. Don't think of it as a morale killer.

-Do you have to think about it? -No.

-Are you sure? -Yes.

-Are you staying or leaving? -I want to stay.

Let's leave them for a while to think about...

whether they are really happy to be here or not,

and let them think about it.

We've been on missions where there was no food,

we've been on deployments where we weren't able to sleep for a long time.

So, the recruit has to be prepared to suffer

because it is no longer just about being able to endure the fatigue

or being able to endure the cold,

but during that fatigue or that cold, the operative has to be able to work

and to carry out his mission without making mistakes.

We'll be heading into the water again in a little while.

Anyone want to turn in their armbands?

Just by being here, you're great police officers.

We trust that you are. To me, you are.

I just saw the doctor by the river.

You know what I feel when I see a doctor?

I think, "Fucking pro." Speaking bluntly.

But I know I'm not fit to be a doctor.

-Do you understand me? -Yes, Instructor.

Do I go home disappointed because of it?

No, Instructor.

But I know I'm not up to it. I just know it.

I couldn't be a doctor if I wanted to. I know that. I'm not fit to be one.

So, if you're not good at this, you're not a bad cop,

nor do you have to leave in frustration or anything.

You can leave with your head held high. But this is the time,

because this will only get worse.

It's seven and a half months and it's going to get worse.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

Are you clear on that?

Yes, Instructor.

Attention. Now.

Left turn. Now.

We will now walk.

Straight ahead. Now.

Quietly.

-Number 100. -Yes

Come with me.

Quietly, gentlemen.

Anybody want to give me their armband before going into the water?

It'll be longer this time.

They have all the time in the world to think.

And that's catastrophic.

Why? Because it's a feeling of abandonment that they have there,

a feeling of confusion,

of not knowing what's real, of thinking that what awaits them is hell.

And to go around in circles in a square, going round and round.

That is a huge mental breakdown

that many are not able to cope with.

Okay, guys. Numbers, please.

-It was a pleasure. -A pleasure.

You can keep that.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

Come on!

-Stay together. -Careful.

Come on.

Martos, put your head under.

When the inspector tells you to, put your head under, not your face.

If only out of respect for your colleagues.

-What's your number? -Thirty-three, boss.

Thanks to him, the remaining 19 get a fourth submersion.

And thank him as soon as you come out, number?

Thirty-three.

I want to see it clearly. Come on, dive in. Now.

This is what happens to your teammates when someone doesn't deliver.

Never forget this.

Thank you, 33!

-Come on, together, guys! -All together.

Come on, guys. Let's do this!

We can take it.

If you don't get it right the first time, you're no good to your teammates.

If you fail your teammates, it's no good to me.

-Come on, we can take it. -Come on, guys.

We group together to defend ourselves.

The group gives us security.

The group gives you that confidence to hold on for five more seconds.

Five seconds in an operation is the difference between living and dying.

Between surviving and not surviving.

Even your partner's survival may depend on you as well.

We can't fight biology, but we can win over a minute.

And one minute is sometimes the difference between life and death.

That's what the group gives you, confidence.

Fall in!

Let's get the morning started, for fuck's sake.

Wash your faces, gentlemen.

One, two, three!

One, two, three!

Come on, a little more...

Okay! Carefully!

The operatives will come to remove the tree, don't worry

Get out of the way, the tree will fall on you.

Anyone who is hungry, cold, tired, their mind won't be at 100%.

All of that in the end means that you can't pretend.

Your true self is bound to come out.

We're looking for whatever is hiding under that mask. What are you like?

What are you like as a person? What are you offering me?

What will you and I do in the future if you become an operative?

After these first 24 hours,

do you still want to join the G.E.O.?

SPAIN'S ELITE POLICE: BEYOND LIMITS

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