Rafael (Antonio Resines) is a butcher who lives a quiet and solitary life. One morning when he goes to his butcher shop, something makes him stop his van and help Marina (Maribel Verdú), a girl that is being beaten by the guy, Daniel (Jordi Mollá).

Rafael takes Marina to his house and she tells him her childhood without parents, the orphanages she has known and the hard life on the street. Marina is pregnant of Daniel and after learning that he has entered prison once again, Rafael proposes to take care of her and of the child she’s expecting. She accepts, but warns him that Daniel will return and when that happens, she doesn’t know how he will react. One night, after hearing some noise, they open the door and see Daniel bloodied, not daring to enter …

Rafael:
ANTONIO RESINES

Marina:
MARIBEL VERDÚ

Daniel:
JORDI MOLLÀ

Ana Mari:
ELVIRA MÍNGUEZ

Paco:
RAMÓN BAREA

Elena:
CLARA SANCHIS

Estrella 3 years old:
ANDREA RAMÍREZ

Estrella 9 years old:
LOLA FRANCO

Marinita:
SONIA CUELLAR

Ramón:
JOSÉ DOMÍNGUEZ

Script:
ÁMGELES GONZÁLEZ, RICARDO FRANCO

Director:
RICARDO FRANCO

Production Director:
JOSÉ ANTONIO GARCÍA TAPIA

Photography Director:
TOTE TRENAS

Art Director:
JUAN BOTELLA

Make up:
PACA ALMENARA

Costumes:
LALA HUETE

BSO:
EVA GANCEDO

Every century that passes, I find it harder to talk about my films. In doing so, I feel like a fake, an impostor. I don’t recognize myself having the right to speak with the necessary authority over something that I feel is self-made, and I am only an instrument in its passion to exist.

Now I remember correctly what I intended when I began writing the script with Angeles G. Sinde, except that I dreamed that the goodness that nests in all heart, find a way to manifest itself in all sincerity. Before I started filming, my fears were more mundane. I wasn’t sure I could finish it because of my fragile state of health. My wounded eyes, the strength of my body only on the way back to its place, and, finally, the fear of imposture, the pretense.

The right words should have sprung from sincerity, from true emotions. And that affected me as a director, and as such, I had to transmit it to a small but exceptional team, dear friends all of them, actors, technicians, artists. And I want to acknowledge my debt to all of them, because without their devotion to the story of these three, the film could never have been made.

And with the producer Pedro Costa, who offered me an injured project, at a time when I was not sure if I would ever be able to cut my toenails once again. As the project was. I really didn’t feel like it, but total freedom from Pedro, I became infected with the passion that freedom awakens in any creator.

AWARDS

Cannes – Special Mention by Jury

Mar de Plata – Ombú of Silver to the Best Director and the Best Actor

Bruselas- Best Movie

5 GOYAS

Fotogramas – Best Spanish Movie

2 ONDAS

José Mª Forqué de EGEDA – Best Movie

Unión de Actores a Jordi Mollá

MIDIA – Best Movie