Original subtitles

[dog barking distantly]

- [intriguing string notes play] - [papers thud]

[distant chattering]

[items splatting]

[siren wailing in distance]

[night chirping]

[items thudding]

[garbage truck mechanism whirring]

[dramatic string notes play]

[vagrant humming quietly]

[dramatic string notes play]

[vagrant reading] "It was the end of the '90s."

"We hadn't even turned 16 years old."

"And yet, at that age, my cousin Lorenzo was already 'very Lorenzo, '

as I'd always hear Mom say."

"We were supposed to see an action movie at the theater together."

"I'd just gotten in to Guadalajara from Los Altos,

and my cousin brought two friends with him

so they could discuss an idea he had for a business."

"'It's gonna be a golf course.'"

"'The landowner's a friend's brother's father-in-law.'"

"'We're gonna present the project at the Industrialist Society.'"

"'The only problem is water, but we have an in.'"

"'We know the nephew of the Director of Public Water in Jalisco.'"

"'We'll offer him a slice of the pie

as soon as we find somebody who can pay for everything else.'"

Okay, but are we gonna watch the movie or...?

[boy 1] Nel, I got a better idea.

[female porn star moaning in pleasure on screen]

Oh my God!

That's such a big load.

- Oh my God. - [boy 1] Oh my God, listen to her!

[boy 2] So much come, man.

[boy 3] Okay, guys.

Five minutes each, and the rest of us go wait in the other room, okay?

[boy 1] Hang on. We should each choose which part we wanna watch.

[boy 2] Me first, 'cause it's my house.

[tape rewinding]

[VCR clicks]

[male porn star] Hi.

[seductive music playing on TV]

[male porn star] Hi, good morning. Is anybody home?

Hi!

I'm here to fix the lamp.

- [female porn star] Hi. - Hi.

- [female porn star] Follow me. - Okay.

[female porn star moaning]

Ooh, you have a beautiful cock.

[porn stars moaning in pleasure]

[narrator reading title]

[seductive music continues]

[porn stars moaning]

[paper rustling]

- [man 1] Vale! - [Vale] What?

[man 1] We're going to Barcelona!

- [Vale] What? - [man 1] I got the scholarship!

- [Vale] No way! You serious? - [man 1] Yes!

For real!

[upbeat, cheerful music playing]

[Vale laughing]

[kissing]

- [man 1] Isn't it crazy? - [Vale] Oh, congratulations!

BEFORE GOING TO BARCELONA,

I WENT TO GUADALAJARA TO SAY GOODBYE TO MY PARENTS.

WHEN THEY CAME TO PICK ME UP, MY MOM...

- [woman] Careful! - [man 2] I know, I saw it.

- [woman] Did you pay for parking? - [man 2] You pay on the way out.

[woman] What are the machines over there for?

[man 1] Dad, if you want, I'll get out and pay.

[dad] No, don't worry, bud.

You can pay at the machines or on the way out,

and the machines here don't give change.

How's Vale doing?

- [man 1] Good, Dad. She's good. - [dad] Mm-hmm. Great.

She stayed to pack all our things and close up the house.

She says hi to you both.

- Great, well give her a hug from us, huh? - Sure.

Oh, you know who's going to be in Spain, hon?

A nice girl, my friend Lourdes' kid.

She's studying to be a chef. Her name is Paola.

I said you'd give her a call when you get there.

I don't know, I can't help but feel like...

like I just know that my son isn't going to come back.

- Oh, Mom. - No. No, really.

No, really, I want you to stay there. It'd be amazing, honey.

You'll build a great life there, I know it.

I hope you get a nice job you really love, at a good university,

like... like a professor.

Ah, can you imagine that? Right? [chuckles]

- Yeah, Mom, that'd be great. - Wouldn't it, though?

Let's see what happens.

- Is that shower working yet? - It should work, yes,

but, uh, my brother recommended a good plumber

because you know how your father can get.

I could see with the way he looked at us.

He kept on saying how much we needed redone.

But, well, I guess he was wrong.

The other bathroom does have more pressure, if you wanna use that.

Okay, Mom. Thank you.

Great. I'll make the salad.

- Okay. - And order some sodas.

I'll be right down.

[man 1 through phone] Hey babe, I'm here.

Unpacking at my parents' house. They picked me up from the station.

The two of them just bicker all the time. It's non-stop.

Promise me we're never gonna be like that, okay?

Well, I'll call you later. Love you.

[Vale] Ugh, I can only imagine, my love.

Listen, I'm getting some enchiladas with my dad and Nayeli.

I'll talk to you later, okay?

Love you.

[festive music playing]

[man 3] Juanpa. Hey, kid. There you are.

It's Lorenzo.

He said he couldn't make it, but he wants to talk to you before you go.

- [Juan Pablo] Ah. - Said you're not answering his messages.

[Juan Pablo] Um... Yeah, okay.

- [man 3 chuckles] - [Juan Pablo] Thanks.

- What's up, coz? - [Lorenzo] S'up, fucking Juanpis?

How are ya, asshole?

Hey, I really need to talk to you before you leave.

I got a new project. I wanna introduce you to my partners.

- When can you meet me tomorrow? - Oh man, I don't know if I can.

Oh, don't be such a little cocksucker, fucking Juanpis.

You and me, we're family, bro.

Just give me a half hour, okay, you piece of shit?

Well, uh, why don't you come over now?

- Everyone's here. - No way, jackass, no fucking way.

We might be family, but no fucking way am I going to one of those boring lunches.

Tomorrow, I gotta go buy a book, go to the bank...

- Gonna be difficult. - Hey, come on.

I promise you won't regret it.

Mainly because that little scholarship of yours won't get you shit over there, bro.

Life in Europe is crazy expensive.

[mellow music playing softly on speakers]

[keyboard clacking]

Hi, can I ask you a question?

[keyboard continues clacking]

Instructions for Living in Mexico. That in stock?

Well, you're holding it right now.

Yeah, but I was wondering if you had a copy that was cheaper than this one.

One I could write in and...

[keyboard clacking]

No. That's all that we have.

Oh. Thanks.

Hey. Are you your fucking cousin's cousin?

- No. - You're lying.

Yeah, that's you, look.

Let's go.

- Go where? - To see your cousin. Come on, go.

[mellow music continues playing on speakers]

Hold on. I just have to... go pay for this.

Go.

- [cashier] Good afternoon. - [Juan Pablo] How are you?

["Amor Ilegal" by Zayda playing loudly on radio]

[song stops abruptly]

[dog barking]

[thug] Go in.

Is that your cousin?

He told us you're going to Barcelona for school. Is that true?

[man] Answer him, motherfucker.

This one can't stop twitching. Looks like the cat's got the other one's tongue.

[laughs] Got a dancer and a mute.

[laughing]

I'm going to get my doctorate there.

- Yeah, but... - [rooster crows]

How come he's gagged like that?

This bastard just lost us a whole fuckton of money.

Says he's got a project with you we'd be interested in.

Is that right?

[cell phone vibrating]

Shit, don't you think it might be a little too soon?

[man on phone] No, Chucky, it's not.

We have to make sure we get things straight, right from the start.

Call me back when it's done.

José!

- [Lorenzo grunting] - [gun cocks, fires]

[bullet clattering]

- [man on phone] Am I on speaker? - [Chucky] Yep. You wanna be on video?

No, just put me closer to him.

[car honking in distance]

Juan Pablo.

[Chucky] It's for you.

Hello?

So now you see that we don't fuck around here, okay?

How's Valentina, by the way?

Is this... Who's speaking?

Call me The Lawyer.

Your cousin told us about your degree. Where are you gonna study?

Uh, Barcelona.

What university, jackass?

Um... um, Pompeu.

What are you majoring in?

Um... I'm pursuing a doctorate there

on the limits of humor in 20th century Latin American literature.

What?

It's a doctorate on the limits of humor in 20th century Latin American literature.

I heard you the first time, asshole. But what in the fuck does that mean?

Well, it basically means just judging what's funny and what's not.

What, like if it's okay to make jokes about us killing your cousin, for example?

- Well, yeah, sure, I guess so. - And what do you think?

- Well, it depends. - On what?

Well, on the narrator, uh...

Whether or not if it was my joke, if my cousin told it...

- I'm not sure... - Fuck off.

Dead people don't tell jokes.

Listen up, asshole.

You're gonna go to Barcelona with your girlfriend,

show up at the university, and wait for my instructions.

No getting sidetracked. You understand?

- [horn blares] - [cell phone ringing]

- If it's Valentina, don't answer it. - [Juan Pablo] It's not my phone.

Oh, it's me. Here, take it out of my bag.

[cell phone continues ringing]

- It's Dad. - All right, answer it.

- Hold on. - Hi, Dad.

Put it on speaker. Look, you just press here.

- [dad] What's up? - [mom] Hi, hon. You hear us?

- Yes. - [mom] How did it go?

Everyone's all in pieces. I've never seen my brother like that.

'Cause it's the worst pain there is in the whole world.

It goes against the laws of nature.

Children bury their parents, not the other way around.

So... so did they, uh, did they find anything out yet or no?

Well, you can only imagine. I'm a doctor, and they wouldn't even let me in.

They said that a reconstruction is impossible.

It's going to have to be a closed casket.

Oh God, how horrible. I mean, I just... I don't understand.

What in the world could he have been doing

that he'd get a truck to run over his head?

- Huh? - I don't... I don't know.

Maybe he got hit by a car, and it threw him in front of the truck.

I didn't want to ask too many questions.

- I shouldn't even ask this... - [dad sighs]

He didn't throw himself under, did he?

No! How could you--

No!

No, my brother was telling me Lorenzo was very excited

about this new project that looked very promising.

Well... buddy?

I'm here.

I was just calling to wish you safe travels.

Have a good time, enjoy yourself.

Yep. Thanks, Dad.

Hey, listen, I told your aunt and uncle

that you and your mom were on the way to the airport.

It would be really nice if you could give them a call,

or send them a message at least, okay?

[airplane PA system dings]

[flight attendant] Ladies and gentlemen, due to circumstances

beyond the airline's control,

we've been asked to stay on the tarmac until further notice.

We'd like to remind you that these kinds of delays are out of our control,

so please sit tight.

Once again, due to unforeseen circumstances,

we will not be cleared for takeoff until further notice.

Thank you for your patience. We'll be on our way as soon as possible.

Juan Pablo Villalobos?

- Yes? - I'm going to need you to come with us.

- Is there something the matter? - I can't say,

but we've been asked to escort you off the aircraft.

- [woman] Get him off already! - Wait, no, but I really need to go...

- Come with me. - I gotta go to Barcelona.

[passengers murmuring]

It's for you.

[door closes]

- Hello? - [man] Where's your girlfriend?

- Who is this? - Vicente.

- Who? - Chucky, you idiot. Where's Valentina?

Well, um, she's...

She's not... coming now.

We... we broke up.

[Vicente] Look, the only way you can protect her and everyone you care about

is to fucking do exactly what we tell you to do.

So change your flight, pick her up, and get her on the plane.

[Juan Pablo] But...

No, I don't think she wants to come. I was pretty mean to her.

[Vicente] My friends'll be even meaner to her if you don't get her on that plane.

Got it?

[microwave dings]

Oh, sis, my God. I don't know if I'll ever be able to forget

all the horrible things Juan Pablo said to me.

What really hurts is he wants to pretend nothing happened at all.

[Nayeli] Look, man, yeah, it was really shitty of him,

but I think it'd be better to just move on, right? Because if you guys...

[voice cuts off suddenly]

["No Es Tu Sitio" by Mujeres playing]

["No Es Tu Sitio" growing louder]

- [song ends abruptly] - [keys jingle]

[dishes clattering]

[TV news anchor] I may be jumping the gun, but warning, looks like things...

Hey, hey, bro.

Make sure the dishes are dry before you go and put them away.

- [Juan Pablo] Yeah. I'll make sure. - Okay?

[dishes clattering]

Oh, and I think Ale's coming tomorrow. Her mom's bringing her.

- [Juan Pablo] That's cool. - You finally get to meet her.

- [Juan Pablo] Nice. - Okay. Good night.

- [Juan Pablo] Good night. - Cool. Turn the lights off after.

- Okay. Yeah, sure. - The electricity costs a fortune.

[TV news anchor] We'll see you after these short messages.

ROBERTO BOLAÑO THE SAVAGE DETECTIVES

[pages rustling]

[Vale] "Sometimes I think of the fight as if it were a dream."

"Sometimes it makes me laugh. Other times it doesn't."

[toilet flushes]

[Vale] "One day, the police will catch Belano and Lima,

but they will never find us."

"Oh, Lupe. How I love you, but how wrong you are."

[light switch clicks]

[distant traffic sounds]

[Juan Pablo sniffs]

[sighs]

[woman] So, I'm researching the private diaries

of these various Argentine and Uruguayan women writers who all committed suicide.

What I'm interested in working on is identity as a form of transgression,

or almost denial,

or even the manifestation of the will of power, for example.

Mmm. Interesting.

Let's hear from you.

I'm Nina. Hi, everyone.

I'm from Chile. I'm 27 years old.

And my project really covers the appropriation

of what we call political incorrectness

by the most reactionary discourses, supposedly "libertarian,"

uh, that defend the idea

that it doesn't actually matter where humor comes from

when, in reality, that's where the whole problem lies.

And in doing so, I'm working with the notions of hierarchy and property,

and concepts such as above and below, inside and outside.

DOCTORAL RESEARCH PROPOSAL BY JUAN PABLO VILLALOBOS

FILE - NEW DOCUMENT - BLANK DOCUMENT

THE REASON I HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO WRITE A NOVEL BEFORE NOW

IS BECAUSE NOTHING WORTH WRITING ABOUT HAD EVER HAPPENED TO ME

[indistinct conversations]

[camera shutter clicks]

[Juan Pablo] Hey, Vale.

This expo looks cool, doesn't it?

TODAY

[message swooshes]

[message swooshes]

[Juan Pablo] I'll grab you. We can go if you want.

[Vale] Okay. I'll wait for you here.

Hey, Vale, you can go ahead and make toast with dulce de leche, if you want.

[dishes clattering]

[man] Hey, there, sweetie, what are you up to?

[girl] Look, Dad. See? I drew her.

- [man] Who? Vale? - Yeah.

Sort of. Why did you color her in black? All black? Vale's not black.

It's what looked the best out of the colors that I have.

[man] All right, that's enough. Make her a nice drawing.

See, she has brown hair. Look how pretty it is. Amazing.

[smacks lips] Here.

"And loneliness... it's not being able to say it."

"The pier is gray, and the houses are red."

[man] Eh. Stupid things her mother taught her.

You want some toast?

[man 2] The boss wants to talk to you.

No, but it's just I got plans.

[train wheels rattling]

Hey. How much longer?

It's... It's just... I mean, I-I've got plans.

People are waiting for me.

[PA system dings]

[indistinct announcement]

[The Lawyer] Is the apartment okay?

[Juan Pablo] It's much more expensive than we were planning on paying.

[The Lawyer] Well, eat less food then, dipshit.

Chino said the cops only go to that neighborhood

to wheel out an old person when they die.

All right. Stay where you are and wait for my instructions.

[Juan Pablo's mom] Honey, your cousin's funeral was so sad. So, sad and so bare.

Some girl from Cozumel showed up saying she was his girlfriend.

Carla, Karina, or something.

She brought friends with her.

They were all short, with these big heads and tiny, tiny feet.

You know, the kind who look like they run up pyramids.

I'm telling you,

they looked like they were going to start selling hammocks at the funeral.

My goodness.

Oh no, and then after that,

your uncle's coworkers brought a wreath full of pink carnations.

Apparently, they got confused and thought your cousin was a woman.

And, of course, they blamed it on their secretary,

who spent the whole night crying in the corner.

And your poor uncle was so upset

that your father had to prescribe him some pills.

You know, those really, really strong tranquilizers

that have to be locked up at the drugstore so the junkies don't steal them.

And then there was the...-

[voice message stops abruptly]

Vale.

You know who would've liked this? Juan Pablo.

I went because I thought it would be good for us to pretend to be normal,

but, jeez...

And the neighborhood we're staying in is really upscale.

We had other options that were cheaper too,

but then Juan Pablo made us pick this one.

I don't recognize him.

It feels like he filled his suitcase with all his family's old opinions.

You'll never guess what happened to me

the other day at the market around the corner.

[older woman] Excuse me, dear.

Can you pass me that big jar of tomato sauce?

- [Vale] This one? - [older woman] Yes, thank you.

[Vale] Here.

[older woman] Come help me with the milk. I can't carry it myself.

[tranquil music playing]

[Vale] Then she stared at me and said...

[older woman] Oh, sorry. I thought you worked here.

But you're very pretty.

[Vale] Dude, I don't know what it is with this city.

I can't get used to it.

I don't know if it's just because I feel so fucking awful,

but it's like nobody here is ever in a hurry.

Or like the whole city attracts lost souls.

[tranquil music continues]

[Vale] I feel like I'm slowly coming to a standstill.

Like something's telling me that at least it can't get any worse.

[indistinct conversations]

NO SQUATTERS

[Vale] I met an Italian guy.

Kind of grumpy, but real funny looking. Jimi.

[Jimi] Hey, you. Leave the girl alone. Come on, get back here.

- [Vale] What's your name? - His name's Ugo.

[Vale] He's from Naples, but lives here with his dog.

I'm from Mexico.

[Jimi] Ah, Mexico. What are you doing here?

[Vale] We got to talking, and the truth is,

I didn't feel quite as fucked over.

YES TO HOUSING - MORE THAN 1,000 HOMES

[Vale] At least here, you can drink on the street, sis.

[tranquil music continues]

[dog barks]

So you don't think you can forgive him?

Listen to your body.

Don't feel bad for hating him if that's what your body's telling you.

[door opens]

Hey! Look who it is.

I found you, huh?

[Juan Pablo] What's up, Vale?

[elevator whirring]

[text message alert dings]

It sounds like Juan Pablo got a new message.

The other students.

We're going to a bar.

- You wanna go? - You hear that?

Juan Pablo asking his girlfriend out.

Okay, let's celebrate this moment.

[elevator creaking, stops]

And Elizondo.

She looked pale, oh my God, but she asked if I knew already.

- [student] But you didn't. - No idea!

- [student] Neither did I. - No one did. But I'm...

But, hey, look who it is! Ah, speak of the devil. Hey!

Now you can ask him yourself.

[student] Juan Pablo, you change your thesis topic?

I had my first interview with Elizondo,

and, frankly, you made it pretty hard for me, asshole.

Excuse us. We were already sitting in those seats.

- Um, oh. - Oh.

- Just went outside to smoke. - Of course, have a seat.

- [student 2] So what did she say? - [Juan Pablo] Nothing. Uh...

- [student 2] What? - [student 1] Didn't take it well.

[student 2] What?

- [knocking on door] - [Dr. Elizondo] Come in.

- Hi. - [Dr. Elizondo] Hello.

- How are you? - [Dr. Elizondo] What can I do?

[Juan Pablo] Um...

Nothing. I-I wanted to talk to you because...

I think I'd like to find someone else.

A new tutor, for my... for my thesis. For my doctorate.

[Dr. Elizondo] Oh? Who do you want to replace me with?

- [The Lawyer] Write this down. - All right, um...

Just a second.

[pounding on door]

[knocks gently]

[woman] What?

Uh, do you have a pen I could borrow?

[woman] Yes.

Thank you.

All right. Go ahead.

- [The Lawyer] R-I-P-O-L-L. - Uh-huh. Yeah.

Um, uh, Ripoll.

Meritxell?

Yeah.

Perhaps one day you can tell me what your thesis has to do with gender studies.

I won't be lifting a finger to help process your change of tutor.

You can do it yourself and bring me the papers to sign.

Sure.

[raucous laughter]

- [man] Are you from Guadalajara too? - [Vale] What?

- [man] Are you also from Guadalajara? - No, I'm from Veracruz.

[man] Ahh, the land of son jarocho.

- [indistinct conversations] - [lively bar music playing]

[man] Hey, so how do you know Juan Pablo?

[student 2] That seems kind of rude though, doesn't it?

Um, sorry, I have to use the bathroom.

I think she must have already known

- you were going to talk to her about this. - Yeah.

[indistinct chattering]

Well. Yeah, I know.

But...

[loud music playing]

Hey, sis, can you talk?

I wanted to call you, but this place is super loud,

so send me a message, and I'll call you back, okay?

[indistinct conversations under loud music]

You're on her side, aren't you?

[The Lawyer] Any problems with the change?

[Juan Pablo] No. Just some paperwork, and it's done.

When do you have class with Ripoll?

There's a seminar happening next week.

Okay. Pay attention.

You're gonna find out everything you can about Laia Carbonell.

She's an intern for Dr. Ripoll. I'm sure she'll be at the seminar.

Laia Carbonell.

- And... Who is she though? - Get close to her.

I need you to make contact. Don't fuck it up, asshole.

Do your homework, learn all the gender studies bullshit.

Yeah, but that's not my specialty. I won't know what I can say to her.

Well, get your shit together, or you're fucked.

Then what? What is it that I have to do?

You're going to fuck her.

I'm what?

You are going to fuck Laia, asshole.

Did you already forget about our chat in Me...

[muffled bar music playing]

[cell phone ringing]

- [Vale] Hey. - [Nayeli] Hey, sis. Where are you?

In like a parking lot or something.

[liquid trickling]

What are you doing there?

I went to a bar with Juan Pablo and some other students.

How was it?

Ugh, so bad. Guess what happened, huh?

Wait, are you drunk?

No. No. No, I'm just taking a piss.

All right, come on, check this out.

We ran into each other as he was going out and I was going in.

And the bastard had no choice except to let me come with him, dude.

He knows I wouldn't know anyone else, and still asked.

So we go to the bar, and I realize

that he hadn't even told his classmates he had a girlfriend.

So why don't you just talk to him, dude?

[parking attendant] Hey! What's going on here? Get out!

- [Vale] Fuck! Hold on. It's just... - What happened?

[Vale] Some old fucker just came outside.

- I'll call you tomorrow, okay? - Okay.

[door opens and closes]

[door opens]

What's up, Valen?

You okay?

Hey, want an empanadita?

Ah, what are you doing over there? Want an empanadita?

Come on, they're good.

They're homemade, right out of the oven.

Yeah?

Here. They're really good.

Come here, would you sit down? What are you doing?

You gonna eat it standing up like it's fast food?

Sit down and enjoy it, huh? Go on.

Come on, don't act all shy like that. There she is! [chuckles]

- Want a glass of wine? I'll pour you some. - [Vale] Mm.

- You sure? - I'm good.

- Good, here. Cheers. - These are good.

- I told you. - [Vale] Mm-hmm.

[chill music playing on stereo]

[Vale] Mm.

Go on, drink.

You know why you're so cool?

You're not like all those girls who come to live in Barcelona

and spend all their time here like idiots,

walking down La Rambla till a Gypsy steals their purse, like that.

You're unique, yeah. Aren't you?

- [Vale chuckles] - Heh?

Am I right, or am I right? You're different.

You go and you do your own thing.

Yeah. You don't get carried away by the bright lights of this fake city.

Hm?

A Chilean couple used to live here, in the same room where you're staying.

And every day, they would just talk to me about...

about the parks, the museums,

but, come on, man. Like, I live here, you know?

I'm not a tourist. [scoffs]

Then they had this big fight.

The girl had an affair with a Catalan guy,

and the Chilean kicked her ass to the curb.

And after all that,

the man, he, instead of going out, making the most of the situation,

screwing all the girls he could find, because that's not difficult to do here,

I can tell you.

Really, you can put a bunch of notches in your bedpost if you want to.

We got, like, Chinese, Africans, and Scandinavians.

He's stuck on the Latina.

So what does the guy do?

He goes to Santiago.

Like, Santiago? Are you insane?

'Cause it's not like he went to Mexico City, Buenos Aires...

You get it? Bogotá? No.

Santiago!

You want a line?

Sure?

- Mm-hmm. - Mind if I do one?

[woman advertiser] Wouldn't it be nice to be able to do things...

[snorting]

Read a book from start to finish...

[man] So what's up with you and Juan Pablo? What's he like?

The other day I ran into him, I asked him where he was going,

he said, "To Catalan classes."

Are you shitting me? Catalan classes?

The Catalans don't want us to speak Catalan.

...without any ads or interruptions...

Sure you don't want any? No?

Yo, I just realized.

You like to rock the whole "just got out of bed" look,

- like those girls from Paris. - [Vale chuckles]

You know, the ones who are all sexy,

with their messy hair, and their cigarettes and coffee breath.

But you're not like them, though. You're Latina, stop fucking around.

Look at you.

You're just gorgeous, Valen. You're Latina, you...

- Hey, no, Facundo! - You've got... What?

Stop it dude, why?

- Stop it? Hey, what? - I live here with Juan Pablo, dumbass.

- What's he got? - Fuck off, dude. Come on.

- The last thing I need. - Don't be stupid, Vale.

Are you stupid or something? You don't have time to be stupid.

What's Juan Pablo got to do with this?

Juan Pablo and you are going in opposite directions.

You two are the typical couple that come to Barcelona and then split up.

It's the truth.

People who come here together never last. They break up.

You know why? Because Barcelona is a bitch.

I know. I've been through it myself.

Man, just think, do you know what Juan Pablo's doing right now?

He's out fucking some chick that he picked up in a bar in El Born.

Some girl who's just as stupid as you, but is just a little bit prettier.

[Vale] This is why no one likes anyone from your fucking country, asshole.

[door closes]

[licks finger] Who the hell are you, Mother Teresa,

with all your "honor" and "dignity"?

Who do you think you are, asshole?

Hey. The Lawyer.

Don't hang up on me, fucker.

The first one will be your dad.

The other day I sent one of my guys to him to take a look at a dark spot.

[chuckles] He wanted to run some tests,

but it was just a bruise he got sorting out some other fucker

who wasn't doing what he'd been told.

He's a good doctor, that Jose Luis.

- [vibrator buzzing] - [Juan Pablo's mom moaning]

- [Juan Pablo] Need to talk to Dad. - Wait...

Would you mind just waiting for a little?

Can't you see your parents need a bit of privacy right now?

- [dad] No, no worries, buddy. Come in. - [vibrator clicks off]

[dad grunting]

- [Juan] It's Lorenzo... - What about Lorenzo, Juan Pablo?

- He wasn't run over... - Bud, look!

You've got that rash again, my gosh.

[Vale] Sounds like Juan Pablo is having a nightmare.

And his eczema's also flaring up.

It's allergies.

He's allergic to his girlfriend, who he never even told his classmates existed.

[Juan Pablo] What are you talking about, Valentina?

[Vale] Maybe he left because of his rash and his girlfriend.

[Juan Pablo] You're the one who leaves without saying anything.

[door closes]

Well, we're actually speaking. Wow.

[projector whirring]

[projector clicks off]

[lights buzzing]

[Dr. Ripoll] As you can see, this artist's work

touches on many of the topics that we've all been working on in class,

such as opacity, rejection, fragmentation.

So let's discuss that. Who wants to start?

Let's take a look here. Go ahead, Laia.

[Laia 1] Well, I can see what the author was trying to do,

and I can agree with their search and questioning,

but, to be honest, in the world that we're in today,

I think there's a problematic element in it.

Mm, you might say that it's, um...

It perpetuates the idea...

the idea, the fragility, a poetic voice,

and that abstract representation are more... more feminine traits.

Fragility.

And anybody else see this or have any comments on it?

- Mahle? - [Mahle] Sure.

I think in these spaces, within these gazes,

there's a whole universe of these possibilities.

We have different tastes.

Because women are now wanting to direct these things,

getting into porn, hetero, hardcore.

And I'm all for it, since it's from their perspective.

Are you really okay with that, Mahle?

Laia Carbonell, please, if you could, be constructive with your arguments.

What I mean is that we just seem to keep repeating it all.

We discuss it again and again, and we always come to the conclusion

that, despite the most dignified, unquestioning of intentions,

the patriarchy will constantly keep on perpetuating

the false idea of equality and empowerment,

but I beg to differ.

And I must say, I think suggesting sexism and objectification

are traits exclusive only to men seems very myopic and useless.

And you're assuming that's actually what we all want? [scoffs]

Well, when you watch porn, you're doing it for enjoyment.

Or you wait for the credits

to see who directed it and then decide whether or not you actually liked it?

All right. Mahle and Laia Carbonell, those points are very interesting, yes.

I just think that we had better move on to the next video for the day,

by Miguel Silveira,

who leads a research group in Santiago de Compostela

focused on the oppression and repression of phallic discourse.

Laura, the lights?

Hi, my name is Miguel Silveira,

and this is my piece that I've named "The Oppression of the Phallus."

I prepared it together with my partner, um, Xavi,

and in creating this work,

we used all of these elements here.

So when I chose, um, the name, I...

[Dr. Ripoll] Uh, by the way, before we go, as you can see, we have a new classmate.

Please, Juan Pablo, would you mind introducing yourself to the class?

Um...

Hi.

I... I'm Juan Pablo, I'm from Mexico,

and, well, in my thesis,

uh, I analyzed the short stories

of the Mexican writer Jorge Ibargüengoitia.

[Dr. Ripoll] Tell us a little more about your thesis.

Uh, well, so my research project is about...

uh, I explore, well, humor that's... misogynistic,

and... and, maybe homophobic.

Uh...

Well, this character in one story, for example, he thinks...

he thinks the worst humiliation possible

is, uh, for a doctor to stick a finger in his ass.

In, uh, in... in his anus.

And, um...

[student] You think it's funny that he finds it humiliating?

Well... Well, to tell you the truth,

when I first read it, I laughed pretty hard at it.

But, you know, it was a question of, I think, of the context there, culturally,

and plus how he's been characterized.

Personally, I don't think it's humiliating,

but the main character does...

Yeah, but don't you think celebrating a story like that

reinforces homophobic stereotypes?

Well, I mean, it depends, doesn't it?

Because, I don't know, I think if by "celebrating" you mean the fact that...

that I... I chose to dedicate my thesis to this topic,

then, well... well, I really don't think it does, no.

No.

I mean, at the end of the day, we're having a conversation because of it.

Yeah. And what do you think the fact that you found it funny means?

Well... Well, I guess it depends, right?

Because, for example,

right now, I don't think it's funny I found it funny then.

Yet, if I went and, I don't know, went and told someone else

what's going on here with me and you all,

then, well, I think that they might find it pretty funny,

- and I think we can all make those... - [Dr. Ripoll] Thank you, Juan Pablo,

and, um, welcome to the class.

See you next week.

Those of you who haven't already, don't forget to send in your topics.

[students speaking indistinctly]

[intriguing guitar music playing]

[intriguing guitar music continues]

[guitar music fades out]

Hi.

I was just with you, in the class with Dr. Ripoll.

Yeah, yeah, we know you were. It was half an hour ago.

Ten minutes more, and they'd have lynched you.

Well, to be honest, someone had already stirred things up, you know?

[Laia] Mm.

Hello.

So, your topic is humor and sexism?

[Juan Pablo chuckles] Well, the truth is that I'm more interested

in the limits of humor, you know?

But I think times are a bit complicated for that discussion.

[Laia] Mm-hmm.

We shouldn't even talk about that last video we saw.

[Juan Pablo] Well, actually, I did find something really interesting.

It reminded me of an article by, uh, by Gayle Rubin and Judith Butler.

Say again?

[Juan Pablo] Gayle Rubin and Judith Butler.

Uh-huh.

[Juan Pablo] They interpret the history of sexuality

through the history of materials, among other things...

Like what things?

Well, when they talk about urbanism, you know, and about Chinatowns,

and, um... and the dark spaces,

where there isn't any electricity, for example.

[Laia] What's that have to do with the video?

Well, really, it's that it's impossible to understand the history of fetishism

without understanding the history of rubber,

the exploitation of the Amazon tribes

by the English companies in the 19th century.

So, like, I think, um...

that Dr. Silveira and his partner couldn't have put together these...

these "feats," you know?

Whatever they are.

Uh, unless there was an industry that produced it,

all these... these prostheses.

You know, sex toys.

Uh, yeah, not without actually taking us back

to the exploitation of the Putumayo people.

Wait what are you saying? That... that, um...

that we all need to feel guilty whenever we decide to come using a dildo?

Well, I guess...

it'd be enough if you'd say you're sorry for your colonialist mentality

before you go and put your panties back on.

- I mean... - Remind me, what was your name?

Juan Pablo.

Look, Juan Pablo,

to discuss fetishism, you should be also analyzing misogyny,

because most of these "noble savages" that you're defending,

they were misogynistic as hell.

You know the legend of Pygmalion?

It really caught my attention, because...

Baixen, eh, come on, this one is us. Excuse us.

- [The Lawyer] What happened? - [Juan Pablo] It's, uh...

I can't do what you told me to do.

- [The Lawyer] Say again, asshole? - What if I just became her friend?

[The Lawyer laughs] Friends with a Catalan?

That's a good joke. Very funny.

You're not that smart, are you?

Focus up, asshole.

Prove that you really did earn that scholarship.

[man] "It is assumed that some experiences are more valuable than others."

"It is known that in the times of late capitalism,

the matter of which life is made, time,

or the memory of a time that perhaps did not happen,

has become, like all other things, a commodity."

"Traveling through Latin America, Thailand, Canada,

living in New York, Madrid, or Paris,

because that's where things are happening."

"Wasting youth searching for that unattainable 'perfect body, '

which is always out of reach."

"These things are all trivial consequences

of the application of traditional economics

to this new form of merchandise,

free time."

"This expression is already perverse,

as it takes for granted the existence of a time

that belongs to someone else."

[applause]

That was awesome, Munir.

That's Living Things, an excellent first novel.

Please don't forget to buy a copy tonight. And now...

Wouldn't you say that everything is autofiction, in the end?

In some way?

- Well... - Do you write as well?

Yeah, sure.

Just waiting to apply for a master's program.

Waiting for what?

[chuckles] Waiting to get a scholarship for it.

'Cause in Mexico, you have to wait two years after they grant it...

- [host] Munir? - ...but you...

Oh, sorry to interrupt, but they're closing here soon,

and Adrià had talked about heading over to a bar around the corner.

- [Munir] Okay. - All right?

I'll get my stuff and say goodbye. You joining us?

- [Vale chuckles] - Come with us.

[indistinct conversations]

[Chino] She's up there. Go.

[Juan Pablo] Hi, there.

Oh, hey.

[Juan Pablo] So, I don't know if... if you saw the email I sent you.

It's just that the other day, well,

your email was on the list for the seminar in Dr. Ripoll's,

and... I sent you a link to the article we talked about the other day,

and I thought...

Ah, yes, I got it, but no, I still haven't looked at it.

[Juan Pablo] Ah.

Oh, do you know this book?

Yeah, but I haven't read it.

Ah, well, uh, it's a really good book.

- [Laia] Hmm. - And, um, and I was just wondering

if you wanted to go get some coffee with me one of these days?

[Laia] Let's go.

[Juan Pablo] Um... right now?

[Laia] Yeah, I could use a coffee. Let's go now.

But don't get your hopes up, okay? I'm only into women. You got that?

[Juan Pablo] Okay.

[The Lawyer] We already knew that.

- Now it's time for you to use Valentina. - Huh?

We need to get access to Laia's inner circle,

and the quickest and easiest way to do that

is through sex.

- I'm calling the police then. - Oh, really?

[inhales] If you go to the local police, you should ask for Gimeno.

Tell him I send him a hug.

If you go with the national police, say hi to Riquer.

- What would you even tell them? - What you guys did to Lorenzo...

Your cousin got run over by a truck.

I can send you a copy of the death certificate if you want.

Look, you little asshole,

write down the phone number I'm about to give you.

You tell this guy that I sent you.

He'll give you what you need.

You must think I'm a real fucking dumbass to trust your Casanova skills.

[dishes clattering]

[guy] Awesome. Thanks, man.

In my hand. Come on, do it.

Go on, dude.

It's done.

Hey, what's up with your face? What is that?

Nothing, it's just allergies to a bunch of stuff.

AIDS?

So how long you been here? What's your deal?

- [Juan Pablo] Well... - Not long, huh?

Well, Barcelona's kind of idealized, you know?

Like, the city used to be great, but now it's just kind of a shithole.

The foreigners, the vibe. I don't know.

Been whored out to really build up the tourism.

It's good for me, yeah, but it's shitty.

Yeah. Yeah, I bet.

[guy] Mm.

[exhales] Well, the beers are on you, okay?

The pills are already paid for.

[inhales, clicks tongue]

By the way, these things are the best pills out there.

You won't find anything stronger. They're the best aspirin in Europe.

- [Juan Pablo] Oh. - Guys'll murder to get them. I mean it.

And then they're free for you.

- Yeah. - Who are you? Like, fuck. [scoffs]

Well, see you around, okay?

Chino, the beer's on him, okay?

Have a nice day. All right, fam, see you later.

[door closes]

[dramatic string notes play]

[gulping]

[dramatic string notes play again]

[keyboard clacking]

[Juan Pablo] "If literature has taught me anything,

it's that to achieve something that seems impossible, absurd, or magical,

you just have to fulfill a series of requirements."

[Juan Pablo and Laia chatting indistinctly]

[Juan Pablo] "In the worst-case scenario, a new world must be built."

[text message alert dings]

Look at that. Juan Pablo asked me to go out with him tonight.

See? Maybe you found a way to manifest it.

Giuseppe. For a guy who's homeless, you're pretty New Age.

Hey, there!

[Juan Pablo] "With different rules of engagement."

[Mahle] How's everything? How's the new place? You settled?

[Vale] You know them?

- [upbeat music playing] - [indistinct conversations]

- [Juan Pablo] Ah, she invited me. - [Laia] Hey.

- [Juan Pablo] Hey, how's it going? - [Laia] Great, how are you?

- [Juan Pablo] Good, and you? - [Laia] Good.

- [Juan Pablo] This is Laia. - [Laia] Hi.

[Juan Pablo] Valentina.

- [Vale] Nice to meet you. - [Laia] You too. Same.

[Juan Pablo] "In the best-case scenario, only a narrative logic must be respected."

[keyboard clacking]

"And let the characters come to life."

[music stops playing]

["Lloraré Llorarás" by Ava Rocha & Los Toscos playing on stereo]

[Juan Pablo] Vale.

Vale.

What are you doing?

[Vale laughing]

[continues laughing]

[Vale] Whoo!

[whoops, laughs]

[muffled music playing]

["Mehri To Proi" by Los Ángeles Azules & Rena Morfi playing on stereo]

You guys want a shot?

Hey. Hey, you want one?

- Cheers! - [glasses clinking]

[Juan Pablo] "After that, just let things fall into place. Cause and effect."

[indistinct chattering and drunken laughing]

[Laia] Taxi!

[Juan Pablo] "Then, like in a universal classic,

the impossible happens."

["Big Plane" by Biga Ranx playing]

[Laia exhales] You like watching me and your girl?

You know who would've really liked this? Juan Pablo.

[song fades to silence]

[keyboard clacking]

A FEW DAYS AND A FEW FIGHTS THAT I'D RATHER NOT WRITE ABOUT LATER,

VALENTINA FINALLY LEFT

BUT DIDN'T LEAVE BARCELONA

[Vale] Dude, after giving it a lot of thought,

I think this story is like the classic tale of the hero's journey,

which is really the essence of all stories.

The hero, to be able to transform his future,

has to go against his past and his own kind.

When I say a "hero," I should really just say a "real son of a bitch."

The only thing missing was the promise, the motivation for the transformation.

Laia.

And on that shitty night,

the past, the present, and the future went to bed together.

But by dawn, the present was already the past,

and the future was already taking over.

In conclusion, I shouldn't have come to Barcelona,

and I shouldn't have been stupid enough to believe we had a chance to fix us.

["Lucro (Descomprimindo)" by BaianaSystem playing faintly on stereo]

[Gabriel speaking Spanish]

[Vale] What?

[in English] You left the heating on earlier, and the gas is paid separately.

Nobody said how big that dog was either.

[Vale] You didn't tell me the gas was separate. It's freezing in here.

Go get a blanket from the store downstairs, come on.

[clicks tongue reproachfully]

["Lucro (Descomprimindo)" by BaianaSystem growing louder]

[Vale] Hey, what's up?

- [song stops abruptly] - How are things?

We're here. Me and good old Ugo.

Who's actually taking care of who here in reality?

[Vale] It turns out that squatters also celebrate Christmas,

and Jimi went to see his family.

I don't quite understand their ideology, but I don't understand anything anymore.

Down, Ugo.

Here ya go.

And you know the dog food's for him.

Thank you, Giuseppe.

And you'll never guess what I did next.

I went to Julio Verne. I waited for Juan Pablo to come out.

He was with that girl.

- Isn't she supposed to be a lesbian? - [click]

What I do know is that the rash on his face is spreading. Bad.

He was wearing a new coat.

- Let's see. Ah. - [Vale] According to Jimi,

it's Scandinavian.

[Nayeli] You're obsessed, sis.

The guy fucked up. Forget his ass.

You should go out.

Have fun. Fuck someone. Like, seriously. Go.

[Jimi] Your sister's right. You can't go on like this.

Sometimes revenge is healthy, you know?

I don't know, Giuseppe.

I think I've also been too hard on the guy since we got here.

[Jimi] No, I don't think so. No. If you want, I'll give him a good scare.

Just tell me the address.

I'll pay him little a visit, he'll shit his pants,

and then you can relax.

[moaning]

[moaning continues]

- [chill music playing on stereo] - [indistinct chatter]

[guitar notes play]

[guitar notes play again]

["La Noche Total" by Belafonte Sensacional playing]

I want my Christmas present, all right?

It's freezing.

And someone stole my jacket.

Now I can't afford to buy another one. I can't afford to buy anything.

So I want that new jacket that you just bought. I'll be right there.

[Juan Pablo] No, Vale. Hold on.

I told you that I'd help pay for your flight back home.

["La Noche Total" by Belafonte Sensacional continues]

["La Noche Total" continues over indistinct chattering]

["La Noche Total" continues]

[song stops abruptly]

What are you doing, huh? Here, this is from Juanchi.

THEN I REMEMBERED HOW SENSITIVE VALENTINA WAS TO THE COLD,

HER FEET USED TO BE FREEZING EVEN IN MEXICO.

I WAS ABOUT TO GO DOWNSTAIRS AND TELL HER EVERYTHING,

BUT I COULDN'T PUT HER AT RISK.

I'M GOING TO NEED ANOTHER JACKET

[Juan Pablo's mom] Was it so hard for you to call your mother at Christmas?

You know your father stayed up all night waiting?

But I told him it was too late in Europe.

Oh, you didn't get back together with Valentina, did you?

You know your mother has always respected your decisions, don't you?

But now that you seem to have come to your senses, finally,

your mother wants you to know

that Valentina is simply not the girl for you,

with that slutty name of hers, those toad-like eyes,

and that big mouth that looks like she's ready to shuck corn. No, no.

My boy can...

- [audio message fades out] - [train whirring]

Put the hand away, asshole.

Let's walk.

What's up with your face?

I get dermatitis when I feel nervous.

What the fuck is going on with you, asshole?

No one said to break things off with Valentina.

You just really must enjoy hurting that poor girl.

Look, she wanted to go.

- I couldn't force her to stay. - No more bullshit.

Don't tell me you're starting to buy into that shit you're reading

to get to Laia.

I told you eleven o'clock.

Do you want me to wait?

I want it to look like you came to sell us some beer, and then we said no.

Get outta here.

[ship horn blows in distance]

That guy behind us, standing there...

Don't look at him, you asshole.

- Your girlfriend's family sent the guy. - She's not my girlfriend.

Well, you look suspicious to everybody now.

Exactly how we didn't want you to look, asshole.

You shouldn't have broken up with Valentina.

Because of you, we're going to have to bet everything

on one single card now, shithead.

Tell Laia that your godfather came to see you.

That he did a master's degree in Barcelona a few years ago

and that her father was his teacher.

...a small world...

[The Lawyer] Tell her it's a huge coincidence,

and nobody had put it together until now.

Hey, kiddo.

[The Lawyer] "My godfather speaks highly of your father."

"He tells me they were very close. He'd love to surprise him with a visit."

[chatting indistinctly]

[bell tolling in distance]

[door opens]

- Hi, all! - [man] Hey!

- [Laia] How are you doing? - I'm great.

[The Lawyer] Ori, good to see you.

[girls] Aunt Laia!

- [Laia] Oh! My little babies! - For you.

How are you?

- Come and play with us. - Yeah, come play!

Uh-huh. Great. I'll leave you guys to talk.

- I'm going with them. - Okay.

Hey.

[footsteps departing]

Let's go.

[Ori] What do you wanna prove?

That you can infiltrate my family using this idiot?

There was a plan that I had in mind that would've been less conventional.

It had a whole toxic relationship with a lady,

actually Juan Pablo's ex, you know.

But you can't trust these people.

- They think they're better than us. - Damn assholes.

[cell phone vibrating]

You put that thing away.

Exactly.

In Mexico, we call them "pendejos."

And you know what the funny thing is, Ori?

You're the person who got Laia into all this.

You went and asked me to look after her in Playa del Carmen.

Why was that, huh?

- You afraid she'd be kidnapped? - That some kinda threat?

The fact that we're here in your house, sitting next to this kid

whose scabby face looks like an infected asshole,

that's the real threat.

The only thing I want right now is a whiskey.

All right, then, we'll all have a whiskey.

And in the time it takes me to drink mine,

you can explain what the fuck you want from me.

And I'd better be interested. Otherwise, I'm going to call the police.

Things are different here in Spain.

It's not like where you're from.

The justice system still works.

[laughing] That's the Ori that I used to know.

He's pretty quick with those jokes.

Get the hell out.

[line ringing]

[water running]

[Vale] Hello?

What happened? I saw your calls. You okay?

Why are you mumbling?

Tell me what's wrong.

[Vale] What does the 50 euros in the coat mean?

[Juan Pablo] Didn't you say you don't have money?

Yeah, and? Is your plan to give me all the cash I need or something?

Do you think that's gonna clear your conscience?

No, but if you want, I can help change your flight.

No! I'm not gonna go, even though you want me to!

Vale?

You okay?

Yeah.

[silence]

[muffled conversations]

[ice clinking]

[Vale] Jimi. Remember what you offered to do for me?

I think it's time for that.

Go.

[dog panting]

[Juan Pablo's mom] My boy, take advantage of your time there.

Go look for a nice girl, someone who's your height.

A classy European girl.

I mean, forgive your mother, but just think for a moment.

Where were you going to end up if you stayed with Valentina?

What? Teaching at a little school in Pachuca, or living in social housing?

It's the truth, and don't get mad...

[The Lawyer] Turn that shit off. I get why you're such a fucking dumbass now.

Bring it over, Chucky.

[lighter flicking]

Hey. Got a light?

Hey.

We met the other day.

Is any of this thing contagious?

[The Lawyer] Quiet, motherfucker.

What if he's a leper?

We're not in your motherfucking country, you bitch.

This fucker here is the dumbass

who went and sent the family of this other dumbass's new girlfriend

to investigate him.

[bound man] Fucking shithead immigrants!

[The Lawyer chuckles] Any last words?

Please, just don't hurt my dog. None of this is her fault.

- [The Lawyer] What dog, Chucky? - Oh, we've got it tied up outside.

Here you go.

Chino.

- Go on. - Fucking take the gun.

We need you to prove that you're really committed to the project.

[Juan Pablo scoffs] I don't even know what the project is.

It's not a big deal.

What we want your girlfriend's father to do...

[The Lawyer] You know enough, asshole.

What do you want?

Want me to send your mama and papa at Jacarandas 32 a little care package, huh?

What we did to your cousin,

that was nothing compared to what we can do to your...

[gun firing loudly]

[The Lawyer tuts] That's enough, kid. He's gone.

I guess you're more than just a nice face.

[unsettling music playing]

[unsettling music continues]

[woman on PA] Please wait until the doors are fully open before exiting.

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE

[horn beeps]

- [tires screeching] - [horn blaring]

[man in car] Hey! What the fuck are you doing?

[cell phone vibrating]

[Juan Pablo] Hello?

[Ori] The agreement was 15, and Chino brought 87.

- Who is this? - Don't mess with me, you prick.

That's not the way things are done.

Tell your boss there's no way we can do that much

without Interpol coming down on us.

I'm not going to do it.

[Jimi] Juan Pablo Villalobos?

I know what you did!

[swearing in Italian]

Assholes like you shouldn't be allowed to live! Huh?

I want you to remember this face, okay?

I'll be keeping an eye on you, bastardo.

Don't you forget this face. You got that? Huh?

We're watching you.

[dramatic string notes play]

[dramatic string notes play again]

[Juan Pablo] "The horror of the world."

"The empty gaze of the dead."

[breathing heavily]

[dramatic string notes play]

[Juan Pablo breathing heavily]

[dramatic string notes play]

[Juan Pablo] The horror of the world.

The empty gaze of the dead. The gaze that forces me...

[dramatic string notes play]

[Juan Pablo] The horror of the world.

The empty gaze of the dead.

The gaze that...

[dramatic string notes play]

[Juan Pablo] The gaze that...

[gunfire]

...silenced me, and forces me to write.

- [cacophonous string music playing] - [keyboard clattering rapidly]

OF THE WORLD, THE GAZE

THE HORROR OF THE WORLD... DEAD, THE GAZE

[Juan Pablo] "A Mexican, a Chinese, and a Muslim were in a meeting

with a Mexican mobster in an abandoned warehouse in Barcelona."

"Only the Muslim wasn't exactly Muslim."

"He was an atheist Pakistani."

Kill that thing.

[Juan Pablo] "In reality,

none of them understood how the business worked."

"And the Mexican, in particular, didn't have a clue."

- [door opens] - [laptop slams shut]

Hey, dude, are you watching porn?

Really, man?

Put on your headphones or close the door. My daughter's here.

Yeah.

By the way, she's gonna stay here for a couple of weeks.

Her mom had an emergency in Argentina.

[Ale] "It was necessary to write without an audience."

- What'd she say? - [Facundo] It's poetry, dummy.

"There is no silence here, only the phrases that you avoid hearing."

[scratching]

[sighs heavily]

[light switch clicks]

[editor] In his novel,

Juan Pablo Villalobos builds a world of his own,

with endearing and eccentric characters

to whom strange and often hilarious things happen.

Through the odyssey of a normal man

who gets drawn into all kinds of the most bizarre adventures,

Villalobos has found a tone and rhythm all his own.

A voice that's unlike any other in Mexican fiction today.

He makes us laugh at the absurd,

and, in doing so, shows us the meaninglessness of the world.

So I'm proud to announce that the Best Novel Award this year

goes to the work of this promising young writer.

Let's hear it for Juan Pablo Villalobos

and his novel titled I Don't Expect Anyone to Believe Me.

[audience applauding]

[editor] He receives the award today from Mr. Jorge Herralde.

[Jorge] Congratulations. Will you do us a favor?

[gun crinkling]

And, of course, the situation determines a lot of it.

Yes, it means it's done the job, but it cannot be denied

that what happened, and its grandiose nature,

served as a source of inspiration.

[unsettling music playing]

Everyone is so afraid to speak ill of the dead,

but some people are annoyances still, even after cremation.

Yo, coz, you asshole!

Come on, hey. Shoot it, man, huh?

[audience applauding]

[applause stops suddenly]

[gun crinkling]

[ghostly music playing]

[cracking noise]

[Juan Pablo panting]

[scratches]

[dramatic string notes play]

[Juan Pablo] "I write without guilt, without shame,

like a release, with an itch."

"I don't write to ask for forgiveness."

"I write because, at the end of the day,

I'm a cynic who just wants to write a novel,

like the ones I like to read."

"The only reason I haven't thrown myself out the window yet

is because I haven't finished this novel."

"I have to see this through."

"I exaggerate things, but still, what I write in this novel is true."

"I can prove it."

"I don't expect anyone to believe me. And I'm not going to the police."

[dramatic string notes play]

[Chino] Let's go.

- [The Lawyer] Are you sure he was Italian? - [Juan Pablo] As far as I'm aware.

[The Lawyer] Fucking Italians, man. They want to fuck up the project.

Have you been working for The Lawyer very long?

[Juan Pablo] Actually, I just came to Barcelona to do a doctorate.

[scoffs] Now all the National Police need to do

is to go start printing out and issuing student residency cards

to all of the criminals.

Wouldn't be shocked at all. They're all dipshits, those guys.

[knocking on door]

See you next week, okay?

- Happy New Year. - [officer] Happy New Year, Garcia.

Don't worry, pal.

You can trust me. It's all right.

Do you think you'd even be here if you couldn't?

[mouse clicking]

[officer] Italians. Fucking cocksuckers.

I swear, they all think Barcelona is a sewer

that they can just throw all of their anti-establishment shit into.

That's the guy.

[Nayeli] Dude, just forget about Juan Pablo

and the fucking euros, sis.

Come back home. We'll treat you right.

[phone beeps]

Hey there, Nayelson.

I wanted to make sure I wished everybody Happy New Year

and all that stuff.

And let you know I started a new job,

so I guess I'll give you a call later.

- Clear the coffee on two. - [Vale] Love you.

- [Gabriel] Hey. - Hey, what's up?

- You going? - Yeah, we're already late.

See you.

- Feliz Año. - Feliz Año.

["Un Rayo del Sol" by Le Mans playing on stereo]

[man on TV] That was pretty amazing, but this next set is really something.

We're featuring three brand-new artists

in their live debuts, all from Norway.

- [upbeat music playing] - [indistinct chattering]

[Mahle] Holy shit. What the hell happened to your face?

Ah, it's allergies. I, um... It's the smoke.

[Mahle] Oh wow.

- Hey, can I ask you a question? - Yeah.

[Mahle] Mm.

I don't want to undermine your relationship with Laia, like, really.

But are you comfortable with all this, dude?

I don't think so.

I don't want to get involved. You know that, Juan Pablo.

But, it... it feels like you're her new project.

Look, Laia Carbonell has to question everything.

She analyzes everything.

She even questions what she questions.

I mean, she's writing her fucking thesis about you.

Have you noticed, Juan Pablo? Huh?

Hello? Anyone home?

- Earth to Juan Pablo... wow, okay. - Sorry, Mahle.

I have to call my family in Guadalajara. Be right back.

Oh.

[line ringing]

[drug guy] Hey, what's up, bro?

You liked those pills, didn't you, huh?

You wanna start the new year with a bang, am I right?

Sure, yeah. Hey, um, do you have a dog?

"Dog"? What, bro? I got the same shit as usual.

What's "dog"?

No, no, no. It's just...

I need him to see a vet. It's really urgent.

Hey, man, you mean you let your dog eat one of those goddamn pills?

[Juan Pablo] You know anyone?

[drug guy] It's gonna cost you.

And bring cash, 'cause it's a holiday, so it's not gonna be cheap.

Dude, come on. I told you they were strong.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah... Yeah. - All right, come on.

[cell phone ringing]

[Chino sighs]

Hello?

[Juan Pablo] Chino. Do you have Ahmed's phone number?

I was thinking, what if the dog has a chip?

[fireworks exploding in distance]

DAD WHATSAPP VIDEO CALL

- [video call ringing] - [rain pouring]

[ringing stops]

Okay.

You shithole Barcelona, you win.

I'm going.

[fireworks exploding]

[elevator whirring]

[man] A Gypsy and a Moor walk into a bar.

They order two coffees from the Spanish waitress.

And when she turns around,

the Moor says to the Gypsy, "Look at this."

He picks up a muffin and puts it in his pocket.

The Gypsy says, "That's nothing, man. Here, watch this."

He calls the waitress over. "Come here."

"Look, you're gonna shit yourself when you see this trick."

The Spanish waitress doesn't say anything,

and he goes and takes a muffin, and then in one bite, he eats it.

Then the Spanish girl's like, "How's that magic, huh?" [laughs]

"Well, why don't you check in the Moor's pocket," he says.

[vet laughing]

You shouldn't say "Moor." You should say "Maghrebi."

Where I come from, we said fucking "Moor." Our whole lives.

If you don't think it's funny, it's because you're all foreigners.

[Ahmed] It's not fucking funny.

And plus it perpetuates the stereotypes that we see of the Maghrebi

and of the Romani.

What, "the Romani"?

Where the hell did you find these guys, man?

[Ahmed] Either way, it's demeaning.

Come on, man, it's just a fucking joke I remembered when I saw you guys.

I mean, you look like the start of a joke, right?

"A Mexican dude, a Muslim, and a Chinese guy walk into a bar..."

I'm not Muslim. I'm an atheist.

And the worst part of it is that the waitress is Spanish.

Almost like you were saying that all immigrants come here

to steal from Spaniards.

[chip beeps]

Here's the code you need to pull the data

- for the chip... - Give me it.

[Ahmed] And leave a trace of the search?

You an idiot, dude? Just write down the code.

What? Oh, please, girl.

You're gonna let that son of a bitch get away with all this?

And then what?

- And besides, Ugo really likes you. - Just Ugo?

[chuckles]

[Jimi sighs]

Come here.

- Hey. - [Vale] Oh, Jimi. I'm gonna miss you too.

[brake clicks]

- [car door opens] - [seatbelt unbuckling]

[car door closes]

[car door closes]

[officer 1] Giuseppe Savardi?

Documentation, please.

- What? - [officer 1] Documentation. Please.

[Jimi] Fuck's sake.

These guys, it's...

There you go.

You've changed a lot.

Documentation.

- Me? - [officer 2] No, the bottle.

- [Vale] Must've left my ID at home. - Where are you from?

You don't have to answer that.

- I'm from Mexico. - [officer 2] You live in Barcelona?

Yes, but next week I'm gonna be going back to Mexico.

She's Mexican, but doesn't have her ID on her.

- [officer 1] Are you registered here? - I think so, yes.

[officer 1] What's the address?

Julio Verne #2, but, um, I don't live there anymore.

Here, Giuseppe.

There you have the date, time, and place you have to appear at court.

And I suggest you show up.

[Jimi] Why the fuck would I? You haven't told me what this is about.

I know how you guys work. What, do you think I'm afraid of you?

You're a bunch of Fascists. This is intimidation.

[officer 1] Someone reported you for threatening them on December 28th.

At the same address your girlfriend just mentioned.

Where do you live now?

Where do you live now?

[Jimi] Don't answer him, okay? Look, I know the law.

Besides, I was here in the square that night,

and I have a plenty of witnesses that'll...

[officer 1] Shut your mouth, or you're coming with us right now.

We need to check your current address. Please come with us.

Hey, hey, hey. Wait a minute, hold on. I know my rights.

Jimi, what happened, dude?

Please don't tell me you did anything to Juan Pablo.

No, only what we agreed I would.

Who the fuck reports someone for a shove? What the hell?

[sighs] Listen.

Right now, I'm the only one on your side, so don't be like this, okay?

And plus, you know what? He went and bought the same jacket.

And he's ugly as balls, his face is all scabby. Don't regret it now.

Now that I'm in trouble,

- of course I'm gonna regret it. - [officer 1] Let's go.

- Hold on. - [Vale] I don't know what you did to him.

Fuck, girl, are you really that scared of the police?

- [Vale] Jimi. - Typical Mexican. Don't deserve Zapata.

[Vale] You should've told me what happened.

Don't you think it's weird they found me so easy?

- Shouldn't I come with you? - [Vale] No.

[Jimi] You're all a bunch of Fascists,

bothering my friend just because she's Latina.

You stole all the gold from America and now what?

You complain about immigration, huh? Damn fucking Nazis!

There you go.

[swearing in Italian]

- [locks opening] - [door creaking]

My things are all in the other room.

In here.

Here. Look, nothing's going to happen for now.

Giuseppe's summons is for March, and by then you'll already be in Mexico.

But I do recommend that you go and get a formal registration at the consulate.

It always starts off as silly jealousy

until someone does something stupid, and it ends in tragedy.

I've seen it happen a lot.

It sounds silly now, but no one wants to go to the police

till it ends up being too late.

Yeah, no, it's not that.

- It's just that what really... What? - Here.

- [Vale] What? - Gimme the card.

I'll write down my number.

Laia?

That's my name, yeah.

Thanks for this.

[keyboard clacking]

[Ahmed] I found it.

Her name is Viridiana,

and she's registered under the name of Perea Carbonell.

[Juan Pablo] No shit. She's related to Laia.

Who's Laia?

- [Juan Pablo] Oriol's daughter. - [Ahmed] The chip is deactivated.

- Well, then, we better tell The Lawyer. - What? Why?

He said only to call if it's urgent.

[Juan Pablo] Chino. Call The Lawyer.

- No. - Oh, come on, Chino.

You left, and then you just let this guy keep the dog.

- Ahmed can call him. - [Ahmed] I don't even work for The Lawyer.

- [Juan Pablo] You don't? - I work for the guy that hired The Lawyer.

You make the call then.

You can only put your thumb up like this, see? Or put it down.

Okay? And the main rule is that you don't move your thumb till I count down.

[dog yaps]

Whoever is facing a different way, he's the one that calls The Lawyer.

We should do a practice round.

- Okay. - Okay.

One, two, three, here we go.

[cell phone vibrating]

[dog yapping]

[dog yapping]

Hello?

- Understood. - [dog yaps]

Yeah, I can do that.

[dog yaps]

- [dog yaps] - [Ahmed] I'll think of something. Yes.

[dog yaps]

- [door opens] - [dog yaps]

- Who was it? - [Ahmed] It was The Lawyer.

What'd he say?

He asked me to find out more information so he could put all the pressure on Oriol.

He said it was too early for us to use the dead guy's ear or... one of his fingers.

Anyway, he already knows about the dog.

If you don't mind heading out, 'cause I have work to do.

Ivonne and I would like to rest a little.

Ivonne?

The Lawyer told me to change her name to something else.

[Chino exhales] Well, I'm out.

[door opens and closes]

Hey, dude.

Would you please just go now?

THEY DON'T NEED US ANYMORE, THEY HAVE WHAT THEY WANTED NOW.

IF I WANT TO SAVE VALENTINA

AND FINISH MY NOVEL,

I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TALK TO THE LAWYER.

[ambient traffic sounds]

[doorbell rings]

[Facundo] Who is it?

- The girl with the dark hair, Dad. - [Facundo] What's up?

Hey, there. I was looking for Juan Pablo.

Yo, look, man, it's just two cases.

Tell them not to be such assholes. I'll get them a free one as soon as I can.

- Hello. - Hi, Ale. How are you?

Bad. My mom went to Argentina, and my dad won't take care of me.

Hey, don't say things like that.

She's just angry I can't stay with her tonight.

[Vale] Have you seen Juan Pablo?

No, I think he's with Laia. Did you call him?

Hey, let her take care of me today! She can be my babysitter, Dad.

No, you have a babysitter already, honey. And what do I tell Pilar?

No, but I don't like Pilar.

Pilar doesn't know anything. I would be way happier with her.

Listen, Vale, do you think you can stay with her today?

It's a good deal. I pay seven euros an hour.

Ever since her mom left for Argentina,

she's always acting out with her babysitter.

But with you, it's a different vibe.

No, it's gonna be weird if I see Juan Pablo.

I don't want things to get like that.

No, you're not gonna run into him.

Yeah, Juan Pablo? Man, I barely see the guy.

I'll arrive home before he does.

Take her to the park, come back, play for a while or whatever,

give her a bath, and by then I'll be back.

What do you say? Ten euros.

Every hour. Okay, we got a deal?

Is it because of the other day?

- You want me to apologize? Is that it? - [Vale scoffs]

Fine. I'm sorry, Valentina. I apologize a thousand times. I fucked up.

Ah, let's put that behind us, okay?

I mean, you could've simply taken it as a compliment...

Ugh. No, Facundo. We can forget about it. Don't worry.

[inhales] Well, could use the extra cash right now, so fine.

- I'll stay. - Charly, hey. We're all good. Don't worry.

I'll be there in 15, okay?

They'll just have to suck my dick till tomorrow morning.

Come in.

[train rattling]

VALENTINA I'M LEAVING

I'M GOING BACK TO MEXICO, I WANT TO SEE YOU FIRST, WE NEED TO TALK.

IT'S FOR THE BEST,

LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED ME TO CHANGE YOUR FLIGHT.

I CAN DO IT MYSELF, OR TRANSFER THE MONEY.

[text message swooshes]

[The Lawyer] They found the Italian guy. And guess who he was with.

You shouldn't have broken up with Valentina.

The detective was Laia's uncle.

[The Lawyer] Think I'm dumb enough to ask one asshole

to kill another asshole without knowing who he is?

No, but, you... you said that... that the family had hired him...

[The Lawyer] I told you that the family had sent him.

Not that they had hired him.

But I was wrong.

Man, these rich-ass Europeans.

Didn't take a lot to get the guy to talk. Just a flick in the balls.

Thought you wanted Laia for a green card. Man, that's some dumb luck.

Okay, and what if the family decides to report,

like, a missing person, or, you know?

Who exactly do you think you're working with, asshole?

We have his phone already and send normal messages to the family.

You shouldn't have broken up with Valentina.

I told you that.

I didn't want it to get this far, I gotta tell you.

And I like Valentina.

She worked hard to get her place in this world.

But there's no alternative anymore, no.

You should've stayed together. I told you that.

[Vale] Send me a transfer? Show your face, asshole.

Ale!

Ale!

- Ale! Come here! Come, get over here! - What?

Whoa, hey. You can't throw sand at the other kids.

It's going to get in their eyes.

- They're the ones who started it. - Hey, do you want Pilar?

- No. - Then go apologize, and we can get going.

We should just go right now.

[Ale grunting]

[Vale grunts]

[Ale] Assholes!

- [Vale] Hey... - [Ale] Look...

And as the rose water dries, the rollers turn.

So I pass it over a couple of areas and press it in...

JUAN PABLO INCOMING CALL

...but not too hard. Always keep pushing outward.

This is one of my favorite questions I've gotten...

[Vale] Come on. Ale...

DAD INCOMING CALL

- Your bath's almost ready. - [Ale] Here.

Oh, let's see. I'll just answer this one, okay?

[cell phone vibrating]

Hi, Dad.

Good. Looking after a friend's daughter right now.

Uh, I think so, Dad, but I'll go and call them right now,

and then I'll call you back, okay?

Okay. Well, bye.

Ale?

[line ringing]

- Ale, what are you doing? - [automated voice] Welcome to Aeroméxico.

If you would like to speak to a representative,

say "speak to a representative."

- Yes, speak to a representative. - [line beeps]

[Margarita] Aeroméxico, good morning. My name is Margarita. How can I help you?

Hi, Margarita.

I'm on the waiting list for a flight going from Barcelona to Mexico on Thursday,

and I wanted to check on the seats for that.

[Margarita] You have your reservation code?

- I do, let me check. - When Dad left, he took the tablet.

I wanna keep watching the video!

Ale, just let me finish this call, okay? And then you can have it back.

All right, it's L-F-P-P-7-1.

- [Margarita] Please hold. - Ale!

The flight you want is on Thursday, January 11th, correct?

Yes, or if there's one sooner and it's not much difference...

- Ale, no! - Put in the password.

- This is Juan Pablo's room... - Put it in! Come on!

- Go, go, go. - Put it in,

or else I'll tell my dad you hit me on the head!

Oh, come on, I didn't hit you!

Hold on, just a second, please.

[water running]

All right. Come on, get out of here.

You can't go into places that aren't yours. That's not cool, Ale!

[water continues running]

[Vale sighs] Margarita, sorry, I'm still here.

Let's see. Can you reserve a seat...

[Ale] Gimme it!

[Margarita] No, I'm afraid I can't. Anything else I can help you with?

[Vale] No, thank you, Margarita.

Thank you for calling Aeroméxico. Have a nice day.

No, motherfucker, motherfucker! You're fucking kidding me!

[water sloshing]

[Vale sighs] Goddamn it.

[Lorenzo] What's up, cousin, you fucking asshole?

Please tell me you didn't get this video, man,

- 'cause if you did... - [Vale] What is that?

- [Ale] I don't know. Came up by itself. - [Vale] What did you do?

[Ale] Nothing! A little flag popped up at the top, and I just clicked on it.

[Lorenzo] ...dickhead.

You're gonna meet my partners for this project,

and everything's gonna work out great, man.

- So I'm scheduling this shit... - [Ale] What?

...to be sent after a while, bro, just in case those dumbasses

decide to fuck me over, okay?

[key clacks]

[Ale] Leave it on! I like the way this dipshit talks.

Ale... Listen, hey, go take your bath,

and we'll do whatever you want to do today, okay?

- Like practice your makeup, right? - [Ale] Okay, but ten minutes.

Then, you do my makeup.

Uh-huh. Yeah, I promise you.

[footsteps departing]

So how did it all go down, huh?

Seriously, if those assholes fucked me over, I was hit by a car, right?

That's how those fucking assholes always do it, man.

[Vale] Juan Pablo, it's Valentina. Call me back, please.

I just saw this video your dead cousin sent you.

I'm at your house. I don't understand anything. Call me back.

[line ringing]

- [Vale] Juan Pablo! - Vale. Wait, where are you?

- I'm at your house. - Just listen to me, please.

What's with the video your cousin emailed you?

Juan Pablo?

[unsettling music playing]

[Vale] Juan Pablo, what's going on?

Juan Pablo?!

[sighs]

[doorbell rings]

[Vale] Hello?

- Sorry, I rang the wrong doorbell. Sorry. - [Vale gasps] Oh. Okay.

[exhales shakily]

[unsettling music playing]

[Juan Pablo] Vale, stay there and don't open the door for anyone, okay?

Just do what I say. I'll be right there. I'll explain everything.

[Juan Pablo] Vale, stay there and don't open the door for anyone, okay?

- Just do what I say. - [Ale] Ow.

I'll be right there. I'll explain everything.

The reason I'm sending you this whole video in an email like this

is, well, because, pfft, I had the foresight, right?

Because you just gotta be like that in this fucking business,

considering every last piece, each variable.

[sighs] But if those fuckers killed me, asshole, then things are about to change.

I need you to pay close attention to every single thing that I'm about to tell you.

All right. So about two years ago,

I met these two Catalan girls over in Cancún.

And I really wanted to fuck one of them, man,

but, well, you'll never guess what, coz.

It turned out that she was a lesbian.

But the thing is, my instinct, man,

it told me I should treat them real well.

And then I started to investigate, man,

and I found out that one of these girls, Laia, Laia Carbonell,

is the daughter of this super badass Catalan politician.

Super, super powerful. He's the kind... you can't even fart in Catalonia

if you don't have permission from this asshole kind. Hm?

Ah, please, please, bro.

Please tell me you didn't get this fucking video, you asshole.

You know what? I can fucking smell it, man.

I can fucking smell that The Lawyer wants me dead, that shithead, I'm sure.

He wants to get rid of me because of this project that just...

I mean, it just had a slow start.

Yeah, it was slow, but at that point, we were still just a start-up.

Don't blame me, come on.

[sighs]

If those assholes also wanna fuck you up, then I need you to listen up, dude.

And don't you even think of going to the police, okay?

Because those assholes also control them. No, no.

The key here is... is the guy that they call Chucky.

Chucky, okay?

You're going to meet him tomorrow. That jackass is a good guy, hm?

My fucking instinct is also telling me

that this guy is already fucking fed up with the fucking Lawyer,

and I know that he really wants to screw over this guy.

You need to talk to Chucky, okay? Convince that asshole.

Get the guy on your side

for this project that we call the fuck-over-The-Lawyer project.

You fucking listen to me, coz.

You gotta listen to me, bro.

- This can't keep going... - [cell phone vibrating]

- [Juan Pablo] Hello? - [The Lawyer] Turns out you're a coward.

Who would have ever guessed, huh?

I wanna make a deal so Valentina can go back to Mexico.

There you go again with the fucking jokes.

I have information. I'm serious. I'm on my way.

- Tell Chino not to do anything to me. - Okay, come.

But this better not be more bullshit.

Okay.

[train rattling loudly]

Can we talk alone?

[The Lawyer sighs]

Follow me.

[Juan Pablo] Ahmed and Chucky want to fuck you over.

The fuck you talking about?

[Juan Pablo] Well, Ahmed's the one who's in contact with the big boss, right?

- No. - [Juan Pablo] No?

Then what I was going to say doesn't make sense.

Sorry.

That bastard works for somebody who's associated with all the top brass.

They provide a service, I guess you could say.

Tell me, what were you gonna say?

Well, uh, Ahmed thinks that... that Chucky is more qualified,

and that it's better dealing with him than you.

And apparently, he's already told the big guys, and they also think so.

How come you came here to say all this?

How do I know you're not lying?

Well, they say that you're too violent.

You compromise the rest of the organization. [sniffs]

[The Lawyer] Those cunts. Fucking shitheads.

I want to make a deal.

Vicente?

[footsteps approaching]

What do you think, Vicente?

That bastard Chucky's planning on forcing me out.

- [gunshot] - [body thuds]

[distant traffic noises]

[seagulls squawking in distance]

- [keys clatter] - [Facundo] Good morning!

[Vale] Morning.

[Facundo sighs]

How's it going?

- How's the kid? - [Vale] Good.

She fell asleep. She wanted to wait for you, but, well...

- I told her you were running late. - [Facundo] Uh-huh. Good, good.

Well...

[dishes clatter]

What's going on? Want something to drink? It's on me. Now that you're off the clock.

- Huh? - [Vale] No, thank you.

[bottle opening]

Hey, Facundo. I'm gonna stay until Juan Pablo gets here.

No. No way.

No. Okay.

Thanks for staying here late with Ale and all, but no.

I don't wanna mess with Juanpi.

No, it won't be a thing.

I'll look after Ale tomorrow, okay?

You're a live one, know that?

Fine, okay.

I'll say you forced your way in if it turns into a mess. Okay?

Tomorrow you take care of Ale again, until late.

Okay.

THESIS

BOOK IDEAS - NOTES - RESEARCH - READ

BOOK IDEAS

IDEA - RESOURCES

IDEA

[dramatic string notes playing]

[gunshots]

THE MEXICAN PULLED THE TRIGGER.

[keyboard clacking]

- [dramatic string notes continue] - [gunshots rewind]

[gunshots]

CHUCKY PULLED THE TRIGGER.

[dramatic string notes continue]

[line ringing]

[Officer Laia] Hi. You've reached Laia. Leave a message. Get back to you later.

[phone beeps]

[Vale] Hi, Laia. This is Valentina. You gave me your number, remember?

I need to talk to you.

[Officer Laia] Is this what your ex wrote? It looks like a novel.

Yes, it is a novel, but this one is autobiographical.

What it says happened. It's just utilizing fiction.

How do you know? I thought you and him separated some time ago.

But he's been acting so weird. I know Juan Pablo isn't like that.

I mean, he tried to stop me from coming with him to Barcelona,

but now we know he wanted to keep me safe.

And when he let me come, he was forced to, it turns out.

[Officer Laia scoffs]

Hey, you, come on! We have to go this second!

[Vale] Ale, no, we've still got 15 minutes.

Wait a little bit longer, please.

I know you believe this, but you gotta admit

the idea these criminals all decided your ex's love life is pretty ridiculous.

[Vale] But it was all part of a plan.

- This is the entire story, it really is. - [paper rustles]

Like in this section, he talks about going to the police station.

- Holy shit. What? - And check this out.

- Fuck. - You know who that is?

And he happens to be Laia's father.

[Officer Laia] Of course I know who he is. Everybody does.

He's a big shot, a public figure.

Well, can you help me?

I don't know.

I'm no expert with literature,

but it seems to me like there's a mix of some truth and some lies.

And, I mean, even if just half of this is true,

well, then, this thing's like a bombshell.

So, what are we talking about?

A conspiracy? A drug lord from Mexico laundering all his money in Catalonia?

And through Oriol Carbonell? Through his party too?

And with the protection of a member of the national police? Dude!

Will you at least help me track down Juan Pablo?

[Officer Laia] I can't activate that protocol yet, but I'll keep an eye on it.

- Okay. - In the meantime, I'll read this.

Today's my day off.

[Vale] Ale, let's go.

[Officer Laia] So...

[Officer Laia reading] "I had nightmares. I dreamed Vale was going to Mexico

and they escorted her off the plane, like me."

"I woke up, and Chino took me to the police

with some guy named Riquer to identify the Italian guy."

"The office had a signed Espanyol jersey hanging up on the wall."

Holy shit.

Valentina!

[melodic guitar music playing]

[woman] And I kept thinking about that word, "disappear."

When I'd been told you'd "disappeared," honey,

I kept thinking this was some kind of magic,

and that they made you disappear and then you...

you would... you would reappear, right?

But you're not back yet.

[Juan Pablo's mom] Hello, my love.

Your mother still hopes that you're somehow managing to get her messages.

And that, for some reason your mother doesn't fully understand,

you just choose not to call her back.

Maybe you went to Botswana to become a writer with Valentina.

- I don't know, son. I don't know. - [applause]

[Juan Pablo's mom] Your mother wanted to let you know that she's in Barcelona.

Yes, son, your mother was invited to attend a conference

for relatives of missing persons.

And the doctor wouldn't let your father travel

with his health how it is, so... your mother came alone.

[melodic guitar music continues]

Oh, son, guess what?

Your mother got to meet Laia.

Well, albeit very briefly, but she's beautiful, isn't she?

Very elegant.

She was very, very polite.

She apologized that her family lawyer had to be there,

but her father asked her to bring him, in case he might be of any help.

And so, my son,

your mother is here, wandering around this city,

this beautiful city,

and she's waiting for...

for... for you to show up at any moment,

because you just can't abandon your story halfway through.

A story needs to have an ending.

It could be happy one, or... or an unhappy one, but...

an ending.

- [Officer Laia] Listen! - [mother] What?

[Officer Laia] I knew Valentina.

The chief of police and Laia Carbonell's father

are involved in the murders of Juan Pablo, Valentina, and the Argentinean girl.

That's not true. I spoke with Mr. Riquer and Minister Carbonell,

and they're doing all they can to find them.

They had them killed!

Them and some other guys from a Mexican drug ring!

[Juan Pablo's mom] Aren't any bodies. Haven't found any...

[Officer Laia] Or they made them disappear. It's the same thing.

Ma'am, look I used to be on the force,

but they fired me for trying to find out the truth.

Yeah. They tried to silence me.

You know what they did to Jimi, Valentina's friend?

- No, I don't know any Jimi. - They murdered him.

And then said that it was just an overdose.

And all of this, it all goes back to Lorenzo's death.

Everything is in here, written by your son.

You don't believe me, at least believe him.

Despite the title that he chose.

[Juan Pablo's mom sniffs]

I'm not reading any more of this. Please, just leave me alone.

[sighs]

[papers thud]

[melodic guitar music resumes]

[melodic guitar music continues]

BASED ON THE NOVEL OF THE SAME NAME BY JUAN PABLO VILLALOBOS

[melodic guitar music ends]

["Broncedado" by Diosque playing]

[song ends]

[woman] Wouldn't it be nice to be able to do things

without interrupting your flow?

- [tranquil music playing] - Read a book from start to finish?

Sleep eight hours?

Sing the whole song?

It would be amazing.

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you'll be able to listen to all of your favorite music

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Click on the link on screen and join the 30-day experience

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