THE MOTIVE
SEVILLA, SUMMER 2017
And so tonight is about celebrating
those who carry Andalusia's heart and soul with them
and who do so much for their land and their people,
those who are an example to thousands of other Andalusians,
who in return are here tonight to show their love,
and support for their good work,
carrying the good name of Andalusia far and wide,
who understand how to transmit the soul of our beautiful land to others.
The gold medal for Andalusia's personality of the year
goes to someone who has been lauded by the critics
as the new voice of popular Spanish literature
and who has achieved unrivaled success,
selling over...
I'm so sorry, babe. 300,000 copies of her debut novel.
The master class ran over.
Don't worry. You made it just in time.
This years award goes to our much loved, prodigal daughter
Amanda Carvajal.
Congratulations!
Thank you. Thank you so much. You are great!
Without the support of Álvaro,
my husband,
I wouldn't be here tonight.
Thank you for everything, darling.
And thank you for arriving.
But the person I want to thank the most is...
my darling boy,
Bruno.
He's with me every single day,
he looks up to me like no other in this world.
I want to thank him for that, although he's not here tonight.
Thank you.
Please, allow me...
Allow me a tiny liberty, I don't mean to teach you anything,
but let me give you a little gift. Please.
As Machado once said through the voice of Juan de Mairena...
"Never lose contact with the ground,
as it's the only way to know precisely how tall you are."
That's beautiful.
Thank you.
Bravo! Thank you.
Good morning. Good morning.
Have you brought the deeds?
We agreed to meet at 9 a.m., it's already 9.20 a.m.
I'll be with you right away. Just one moment, please.
Good morning, Jesús. Good morning, Álvaro.
Your wife's in all the papers, man! It's awesome!
You're on the picture, too, at the awards ceremony.
You sit there in a corner.
Your wife is amazing.
High level.
You've got an artist.
I finally got her book yesterday.
I had to order it on purpose, 'cause they'd run out at the store.
They brought the book deliberately, and I had to go to the store.
That's amazing. It's going to be a best-seller.
I'm not used to reading, but I will read your wife's novel.
Hello?
Good morning, don Alfonso. Yes, I'm sorry.
With everything that's been going on with my wife and all.
Yes, I know. I'm sorry.
I'll bring everything over to you right now.
Right away.
Now that you're up there,
among the stars of the real Seville,
you should consider joining my club,
The Royal Society of Farmers and Landlords.
Let's say it plainly, landlords.
There we have waiters and... He's already three years
taking private cello classes. Just figure it out.
The kid needs some cello knowledge to start university studies.
So he's been playing cello since he was four years old.
So, you can imagine, the kid finds the classes boring.
He gets up, and walks around.
Therefore I think the teacher has a thing about him.
Not only because the kid is always walking around.
In his class there are two more students.
But their mothers always have to be there with the kids.
I was also there, as the only male in the room.
So there we are the three of us, both girls,
by the way, they haven't seen a cello before in their lives.
One of the mothers even said... "Am I supposed to by a cello?"
And I told her... "Ma'am, of course you should buy a cello
to attend cello classes."
Hey, we should celebrate your wife's award!
Come on, my shout! I'm too busy.
Are you not in the mood? No, no.
You're going to give yourself an aneurysm!
I have to get this finished. Thank you.
Damn it, you're so boring.
Well, see you tomorrow.
Get a good rest!
Bruno! My sweetheart!
How are you, my boy?
What's wrong with you? Hey, you come here!
Where's Mommy, eh?
Come here!
Do you think this is acceptable behaviour?
This is outrageous!
Or did you mistake the office for a hotel?
Forgive me, Don Alfonso. Don't give me that!
And I want all of that gone by the end of the day!
Let this be the last time I catch you sleeping in here.
Good grief! This is a notary's office, man!
Morning!
What's going on?
Nothing.
By the way, I'm loving your wife's book!
That bit about the guy who gets his jaw dislocated by...
I'm going out for a coffee.
It's gets a lot of light.
Two bedrooms.
Only the kitchen's furnished.
The bathroom is at the back, but has a window out onto the interior courtyard.
The landlady wants someone with a steady job.
Shes had some bad experiences, you see.
I work at a notary's office.
I have a regular income, a yearly bonus and a pension plan.
A regular income is just enough.
By your leave.
Yes, don Alfonso?
Okay, Álvaro, please tell me exactly what's wrong with you.
There's nothing wrong. I don't swallow that.
We can't go on like this, Álvaro.
It's as if you were somewhere else. In another world.
Take a break, relax, go away for a while.
We'll see how you're doing in a few weeks time,
or a month or two...
What about my work?
You need a break.
He had spent all day long at home brooding on the situation.
The city was new to him, and he wasn't able to understand it.
Nobody trusted him, and that made him feel insecure.
But James knew that he had to achieve what he'd set out to do,
and that sooner or later he would.
His and Rose's future depended on it,
so he decided to put on his coat and go outside.
He walked out... Yes, Okay. That's enough.
I haven't finished yet.
How long have you been coming to this class for?
Three years. Three years.
It's not your fault, but mine.
The fault is all mine, 'cause I can't explain things properly.
I should try talking in English.
How many times have I told you about using English names?
That's absurd!
James, Murphy, Callaghan...
Who the hell's called Callaghan in Seville?
I was trying to... Trying to what? Be like Philip Roth?
You're not Philip Roth, for God's sake! Nobody's asking you to be Philip Roth.
What was it that Craig said the other day in the master class?
You were there, weren't you?
The important thing is to know what you're writing about,
and what your main character wants.
Now I'm asking you in front of this class,
what are you trying to tell us? What's the point of that story?
That what you've written is, like always, hollow, fake, pretentious, flowery.
I could use a long list of bywords for vacuity,
just to express the nonsense of what you've written.
Who the hell is this James? And Rose?
What the hell is up with them? Because it has no soul.
Because you don't know what the hell you're talking about!
You don't know what the hell you're talking about.
The reality is out there.
I've told you all a thousand times,
roll your sleeves up, and get out there, and look for stories.
Is it really so complicated?
The thing is I get writer's block,
and the books that inspire me are...
But you shouldn't be getting your inspiration from other books.
Books are written to be read.
To get inspired, all you have to do is live, damn it, live!
Observe, listen.
Have you ever tried that?
And if you get blocked, do what Hemingway did,
write in the nude with your balls on the table.
I'm telling you this for your own good, Álvaro.
You're going backwards, not forwards!
I don't know.
You've been coming here for so long, but you still don't get it.
Just focus on something that has a glimmer of truth in it.
In this three years you have never shown me not even a truthful sentence.
Anything... I don't know...
Write about how you like your steak cooked,
or the last handjob your wife gave to you,
or how you stick your finger up the ass, or how you hate me!
But write about something real,
something that has an element of truth to it.
I'm sorry, mate, but...
if I don't get it off my chest, I'm going to explode!
Where are you going?
I live here. On the third floor. You're the new guy?
Yes, the new guy.
Good evening.
Álex told me you were living here.
I'm going to tour with the book.
We're going to go round the big department stores.
What about Bruno? I'm taking him with me.
The publishers are going to get me someone to take care of him.
I can take care of him. Álvaro.
You're acting like a child, and you don't realize it.
What don't I realize?
That your subconscious is betraying you.
You think you're doing one thing, but really you're doing another.
What are you talking about?
You were late for my award show.
The master class ran over. You always have an excuse.
Your head's always in the clouds, you never live in the now.
In the now? Yes.
Living in the present moment.
Manu explained it all to me.
Manu? Manu.
He's a charming man,
and he's really helped me understand what's wrong with me
and what's wrong with you.
You talk about me with Manu?
That's why I'm here, Álvaro. I want to help you.
You're jealous of my book.
You're jealous of my success.
What really bothers you isn't that I've slept with someone else,
it's that I've been able to write the book
that you've spent years trying to write.
You've spent your whole life wanting to write,
spending your money on workshops and reading.
But you've never dared to do anything real.
I don't know.
You live in the future, in your dreams, meanwhile, the world goes on without you.
You have to face up to who you are.
If your talents don't lie in writing, then give it up.
Give it up, but you have to face facts. Live your life.
Try to be happy.
Your little book
is nothing more than literature for the masses, easy writing.
It does make you smile every once in a while, but...
to suggest I'm jealous
of you having written a mere sub-genre novel,
shows me you haven't understood anything at all.
I want to write literature.
You hear me? Real literature.
I don't want to do a tour of the big department stores,
and sell 300,000 copies.
I want to tell the truth,
and to do that I need to find my voice.
My own voice.
And you know what that voice is saying?
No.
That you can go fuck yourself!
Her face remained petrified,
her glance, isolated.
Her half-opened lips
froze in the moment of speaking unworthy words.
Marta had just received a punch directly into her lack of humbleness,
into her insolence.
In all her life
nobody had never told her to go fuck herself.
Sincere.
Ironic.
To the point.
With spirit, full of life.
And your own voice.
I thought you might have let what I said to you the other day get you down,
but no, Sir!
There's a writer inside of you, bring him out!
Thank you.
Thanks a lot. Thank you.
Thank you.
Excuse me.
I read your wife's book.
It's what I'd call literature for the masses,
easy writing, but it's pretty funny.
Makes you smile every once in a while.
Why don't you ask her to stop by the class one day,
and we can have a talk about sub-genres and things like that.
But my story... You liked my story, right?
To live, to observe, to listen.
Keep on that way.
Where's the bread?
There is one package in the cupboard.
You shouldn't eat so much bread.
You need to eat more fruit. You know I don't like fruit.
Yeah, and you always go on about it in front of the kids.
No wonder it's so hard for me to get them to eat it.
Ah... so now it's all my fault? Help me lay the table, please.
And the opener? There, as usual.
As usual? Where? There it is, I can see it from here.
Could you please take the plates?
Let's go!
Can I help you?
I'm your new neighbour. Flat 3A. My name's Álvaro. And you?
It's just that I saw you go off in the ambulance the other day.
You look a lot better. It was just gas.
I'm sorry? Gas, I said. Gas!
It gets into your chest, and feels like something else.
But I'm perfectly fine, thank you.
Good morning. Good morning.
I'm Álvaro. I've just moved in on the third floor.
I live on the third floor too.
Irene. My pleasure.
I'm going to take the stairs. Have a good day.
What's for dinner? Sardines and salad.
Sardines? Yes.
You have to eat your fish, otherwise you won't grow strong.
Hey, not goodies. Just one.
You still have to dinner.
What's for dinner? Sardines and salad.
Sardines? Enrique!
So you?
That's why they don't want to have their fish.
No, goodies, too?
You're both the same.
Can we...?
No, not here, Enrique.
How long's it been since we did it in here?
Let's go to bed.
They will hear us.
Wait a second. I will...
You're going to make me scream, you bastard.
Hey, stick it in me. Harder.
Hold on, hold on.
Once again.
I'm your whore, you bastard.
My whore. Your fucking whore.
My woman. Your fucking whore.
My woman. You bastard.
Next Tuesday I want the structure exercises done.
Are you in a hurry, Sir? I'd like to show you something.
Excuse me, Juan, I have a fairy tale published.
Thank you.
Now? It's just an idea,
but I'd really like to get your opinion on it.
Let's have a look.
Wouldn't you prefer to go to the bar downstairs?
I'll shout you a glass of wine. You like wine, don't you?
Just the good ones.
A novel about a building?
About the characters in it. Like “The Hive”, by Cela.
A novel which speaks about the social reality of our times.
So now you want to be Camilo José Cela.
You said so yourself.
I don't live in New York, I live in Seville.
I have to listen to the street, find my voice, and I've found it.
Well, I was referring more to...
My voice is here. I felt it.
The novel's here.
The dialogues, the expressions, the sounds.
Yeah, but you still have to write it.
And here I can't see any characters, I can't see anything,
just a very general description...
I know, and that's going to be my priority.
Investigate, explore, discover...
Have you any idea how difficult it is to write characters?
All I need is...
for someone like you
to say... "Álvaro, get stuck in."
I'm asking you, Juan.
Shall I?
Shall I get stuck in?
But don't just start writing willy-nilly, Okay?
If I agree to tutor you, I don't want you writing just any old rubbish.
You have to write something decent. Do you understand?
And as for payment, we can apply the same rate as the school,
but if we're going to have private tutorials,
we'll need somewhere better to meet than this dive.
Thank you.
WHO WANTS WHAT?
WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY DON'T GET IT?
THE FOUNDATION OF LIFE
With two balls!
Time to strap on a pair!
Let's see.
Give me a scene.
Give me one fucking scene, please.
One fucking scene.
Come on. Come on.
Good evening!
Sorry to bother you, don Álvaro.
Not at all. It's just your landlady
asked me to give you this energy efficiency certificate.
Great.
Are you settling in Okay?
Yes. No problem at all.
Well, if you need anything, you know where to find me.
Thank you.
No, thank you! We're very happy to have you here in the building.
Thanks, Doña Lola.
Well, good evening.
How you doing? How can I help you?
No, no. I've brought you a little something.
How come?
I thought you might like some chocolate.
What a gentleman!
Please, come in.
No, thank you.
What lovely legs you've got!
Excuse me? You've got lovely legs!
I really like watching sport on TV, and I always notice them.
People's legs? Yes, Sir!
Well... thanks!
I wanted to ask you a bit about the neighbours,
seeing as I'm new to the building. I don't know much about them.
Just enough to be able to do my job properly.
Of course. It doesn't interest me
that Mr. Montero is an old maniac,
or that the Ecuadorian couple live beyond their means.
Who's Mr. Montero?
The old gentleman who lives on the fifth floor.
Apparently, he used to be in the military.
Really? Yes, Sir!
And about the Ecuadorian couple?
As long as they leave their rubbish where they're supposed to,
and are good neighbours to the rest...
Are you talking about the brunette?
Irene, yes. Her husband's called Enrique.
And what do they do for a living?
You're a little bit of a gossip.
No, no. Please, don't.
It's just you never know when it comes to foreigners,
and your professional opinion is the most reliable.
After all, you are the heart and soul of the building.
I call them the Casares, that's his surname.
He works in a factory, and she doesn't do anything.
They've got two children. Like all the immigrants around here,
they live beyond their means. Sure.
Not that I'm criticizing or anything.
I'm not racist.
The South Americans like their drink and shout too much,
but they don't cause me any bother. The Arabs on the other hand...
Are there any Arabs living here? No. Thank goodness!
A couple have come in asking about renting,
but unless they're one of those sheikhs, they're not coming in here!
THE BUILDING - SEVILLE 2016
IRENE AND ENRIQUE IMMIGRANT COUPLE
KINKI SUPERINTENDENT MONTERO - FORMER SOLDIER
Morning! Morning!
Philippines?
No. Because of your accent.
I couldn't place it the other day.
I still don't know.
I'm Mexican. Mexican.
Ah, wow!
Have you been in Spain for a longtime?
A long time, yeah.
I'm going to take the stairs.
Have a good day. Same to you.
Enrique, how come you are eating bread?
We just got our dinner. I'm hungry.
Can't we watch TV a bit longer?
No, it's late.
But, Mom! Do as I say!
Put your pyjamas on, and go brush your teeth.
I'm talking to you.
Let him stay up a little bit longer.
No, or he won't get up in the morning.
It's just one day.
You're not the one who has to get them out of bed in the morning!
Well, maybe in a couple of weeks I will be.
What do you mean?
Nothing.
Have the trade union people been to see you?
Yes. They're going ahead with the layoffs.
Oh, no, Enrique, please...
Don't worry. I'll find a lawyer,
and have him have a look at my contract.
I'm not going back to Mexico.
Who said anything about going back?
I'm serious...
What do you mean? Nothing.
Have the trade union people been to see you?
Yes.
They're going ahead with the layoffs. Oh, no, Enrique, please...
Don't worry.
I'll find a lawyer, and have him have a look at my contract.
I'm not going back to Mexico.
Who said anything about going back?
I'm serious, I'm not coming back.
Enrique, I'm talking to you!
Well, well! Don Álvaro! How is it going?
I went out for a run but only managed to get about 100 meters
before my muscles started going into spasm!
Are you Okay? Yes. It was just a bit of a shock.
On my way back I passed a chocolate shop, and...
I thought about you.
Yes, I sometimes hear the neighbours getting up to naughty things too!
Walls are so thin these days, it's impossible not to!
Indeed. I don't mind it though.
If I'm honest, it gets me a bit excited!
Really?
Women are the opposite to men in that respect.
The older we get...
Well, the opposite to some men I would say.
Anyway, going back to the Casares,
apart from those kinds of things, sometimes I hear them talking.
Not that I'm trying to be nosy, but I can't help it, you know,
you're in the bathroom and...
Anyway, last night I heard something
that worried me.
Oh, yes?
I'm worried.
This is totally confidential, Okay?
Of course! Mum's the word.
I heard him saying they were going to be laying people off at his work
and that he needed to talk to a lawyer.
I had no idea.
I'd really like to help him, but I can't just knock on his door
and say... "I was on the toilet, and couldn't help overhearing.
Here's my card, call me!"
I understand completely.
It's just not my style, you know?
I don't want them to think I'm trying to take advantage of their bad luck.
And so what is your style?
My style?
Something more subtle.
My husband pays no attention to me anymore.
I'm a woman.
I have needs.
And what is it your husband does?
You want to talk about my husband? No. It's just...
Why do you ask so many questions?
Why?
Just curious, I guess.
I love curious men.
Men with a hunger for life.
And I can't stand men who think they know it all.
Like your husband? No.
Like Mr. Montero, in 5A.
He's a know-it-all and an obsessive. Obsessive?
With everything, the cleaning, keeping things in order, security...
He sounds like an interesting character.
The problem is that he's lonely.
He had a friend he used to play chess with,
but he died years ago.
He likes chess?
He loves it. His place is full of chessboards and books on chess.
He's always moaning he's got no one to play with.
Such beautiful legs...
Come here, come here.
Good evening, don Felipe. Good evening!
What the hell? I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry, I didn't see you.
Are you Okay?
Yes, yes... I'll be fine.
I was in a real rush,
because I'm supposed to be starting an online game soon.
Again, I'm sorry.
You play chess?
Sure. Really?
Ah, well, maybe we can have a game one day.
Good morning! Morning.
I'm Álvaro. I'm the new neighbour.
Enrique. My pleasure.
Don Álvaro, my niece wanted me to thank you
for all the help you gave her with her contract.
Oh... It was nothing! Nothing? She got her hours reduced
with all conditions that you told her to ask for.
They had to by law. I didn't do anything special.
Well, she says you saved her life!
Oh, please! It was nothing! You're embarrassing me!
Thank you very much. Thank you.
Doña Lola, let us out, please.
Yes, sure.
You go first. Thank you.
Are you a lawyer? Yes, I am.
Now I work for a notary, but I spent many years working for a firm
specialized in labor and commercial law.
That's my bus.
Mine too.
Your wife told me you've been in Seville for a long time.
Nine years, more or less.
And do you like it here?
Yes.
You don't miss...?
Mexico? Mexico.
Our kids were born here, and they don't like it over there.
If you're happy here and haven't been affected by the recession...
Well, actually, my company's taken advantage of the recession
to freeze all our salaries,
and now they're threatening to lay a load of us off.
Typical... We save the banks, but nobody saves us.
Listen, but since you brought it up,
I don't mean to sound too forward...
Since they threatened to start laying people off,
my colleagues want to go on strike,
but I don't reckon it'll do any good.
I've been looking over my contract,
and well, the compensation they're offering me...
I think I could get more if I take them to court.
Do you think...
you could...
have a look over the paperwork? I wouldn't be able to pay you much.
No need to pay me anything. Call it a favour between neighbours.
Seriously?
Thanks so much!
Your friend can get a lot more money that they're offering him.
If he goes to court, he's got a good chance of winning.
Are you sure?
Yes.
Do you want me to handle the case?
No, thanks.
That's enough for now.
Thank you, Álex.
And how are you doing?
Fine.
Are you sure? There's nothing else I can do for you?
I'm writing a novel.
Really?
It's what I've always wanted to do.
Hi. Hi.
Good evening.
I'd like to show you something. I'll take a look later.
This evening, I would like to introduce you to one person,
one of the most brilliant female writers
of the Andalusian literature in the last few years.
A great writer, who tells us a story that could be taken
as common situation,
such as the decline of a gray and ordinary marriage.
However she has managed to turn it into a funny piece of work,
that bursts with rhythm, spirit, and strength.
A round of applause for Amanda Carvajal!
Good evening.
Thank you very much, Amanda. Thank you for coming.
The author of "Men's Secret".
Ask her all the questions you can think of!
I would like to begin with a little introduction.
Could you please tell us how this idea came to you?
Is it somehow related to your real life?
Is there any fact...? I always insist in taking reality as the source...
He came to see me at one of my book signings.
I thought it would be a nice experience.
You could've at least warned me.
I was just trying to help.
Yeah...
Your teacher told me...
you've started writing a novel.
I'm glad you finally decided to do it.
How's it going?
That was a great class!
It was beautiful. Yes, really beautiful.
Am I interrupting? No, no.
You are not.
I was just leaving.
Goodbye. Goodbye.
He's a good kid,
a real hard worker.
So then...?
I'm sorry, Enrique.
I don't think there's any chance they'll accept your appeal.
Are you sure?
I've spoken to a lawyer friend of mine,
he has more experience in these things,
and he agrees with me.
There's nothing to do.
But feel free to get a second opinion. No.
I trust you.
I'd got my hopes up.
I know.
I wish I had better news for you, believe me.
I am really sorry.
Where are the kids?
In their bedroom doing their homework.
I have to tell you something.
We have to start weighing up our other options.
Our other options? Just listen to me...
No!
You haven't even tried. Don't say I haven't tried.
I showed my contract to the neighbour, he's a lawyer.
Oh, sure! The neighbour...
Don't say it like that.
He works in an important notary's office,
he knows a lot of people. The super told me.
And what did he tell you?
That it's not worth appealing,
it'd just be a waste of time and money.
He was really trying to help,
he even got a second opinion from a lawyer friend of his.
And so that's it, Enrique? I have to just accept it?
What do you want me to do?
Hang myself? Or maybe rob a bank?
Yeah, maybe.
Maybe what?
Maybe what, Irene?
Hang myself, or rob a bank?
What do you want me to do?
Hang myself? Or maybe rob a bank?
Yeah, maybe...
Maybe what, Irene?
Hang myself, or rob a bank?
Yeah, maybe...
The scene where the immigrant couple are arguing
is real and precise, but be careful.
In times of recession, robbing a bank is the most obvious,
least interesting thing he could do.
It's like a bad joke among friends in a bar.
I'm not going to have him rob a bank.
So what's the plan?
I thought I'd just let the characters get on with it
and see where their paths take them.
You don't think that's a good idea? No.
It's just funny hearing you talk like this,
like a real writer.
I'm not a real writer? I never said that.
You don't think I've got any talent, do you?
Excuse me?
I'm asking if you think I'm talented.
For God's sake, what I think isn't important.
But I want to know. But why?
There will always be people who think you're mediocre.
What good does that question do to you?
If you like writing, or singing, or dancing...
How does it help to know if you're good or not?
It might help stop me wasting money on classes, for example.
You spend your money, because you enjoy those classes,
just like you enjoy writing.
It's not about people buying your books,
or winning the Nobel prize.
If you enjoy what you write, then that's all that matters.
So I've got no talent.
Álvaro, stop fretting like some 20 year old.
What does that mean?
Write the fucking book already, and stop messing around!
I don't want to go back to being 40, or 50...
All I ask is that God gives me another ten years as I am now.
I discovered pleasure late in life, and it's a real pain in the ass.
My husband's never looked after me, never made me happy,
not in bed nor out of it.
I've missed out on so much in my life,
I feel like now I've earned the right to have it all.
What...?
You're such a wonderful character.
A wonderful character? What do you mean?
Nothing.
Here's to doing what we like, even if we are mediocre.
I'm not mediocre. I'm a fabulous super!
Check.
Checkmate!
Do you like cognac?
Of course.
Democracy is a sickness.
The elite shun their responsibility to lead,
and let themselves get carried away by the opinions of the ignorant masses.
A nation without elite is a lost nation.
Democracy destroys dignity and rational thinking,
and converts government into a vulgar auction.
Now you,
as a man of law who works for a notary,
answer me this... Why is the vote of an engineer, or a college student,
or a teacher
worth the same as the vote of a superintendent?
Well... that's a good question.
It's not logical.
Quite.
Check!
Checkmate!
You're the winner! Congratulations!
Proceed to the next level!
Hi. Hi.
Am I disturbing you? No, not at all.
Can I come in? Yes, of course.
Thank you.
Can I offer you a cup of tea or coffee?
No, thank you. I won't stay long.
How can I help you?
I wanted to thank you
for what you did for my husband.
You helped him and that meant a lot to him,
and a lot to me.
Anyone would have done the same in my situation.
Please, take a seat. No. My husband's at home,
and I don't want him to know I've been here talking to you.
He's not working today? He's not working anymore.
On Monday his redundancy was confirmed, so...
There's nothing else we can do.
I'm so sorry to hear that.
He should be out looking for work, but he says he's not up to it.
These situations are hard. Give him some time.
Yeah... We can claim unemployment benefits for now,
but when that runs out...
Let's see what happens then.
Well, thank you.
We get all sorts of people coming in to the notary's office.
Please, come in for a moment.
We get all sorts of people coming in to the notary's office.
If Enrique wants to give me his CV,
I can see if I can find him something.
You'd do that for us?
Well, thank you.
You're such a good person, Álvaro.
Thank you so much.
Bye. Bye.
What were you doing in the neighbor's flat?
I already told you.
I wanted to know who was the person in which you are relying so much.
Do you think he's fooling me? No, but sometimes you're too naive.
I only wanted to know for sure that there is nothing else to do.
What the hell did you go blabbing to the neighbour for?
Me? Me?
You were the one who went to him in the first place!
He might be able to help us.
I asked for his professional opinion.
I didn't go airing our dirty laundry in public!
Do you know what happened to me this morning at the bank?
They'd taken almost 200 euros out of my account.
What for?
They charge you commission for not moving your money around.
That's disgraceful.
But we're in their hands.
You might be...
I keep all my money in my safe.
In your safe?
And aren't you scared keeping all this in the house?
Scared of what?
Let them try and rob me...
They'll see what I'm made of!
A Lugar P08.
The best weapon ever invented.
If anyone tries something,
they'll get a bullet straight to the head.
I really mean it.
If you don't start looking for work, then I will.
The kids are going to hear you. I don't care!
Don't talk to me like that!
And what do you think you're going to do?
You haven't done a day's work in your life!
Don't talk to me like that, you bastard. I quitted my career
on a mutual agreement, so that I could take care of the children,
and not any hired nanny, so they could be with their mother.
I get the feeling you're doing this because you want to go back to Mexico.
It's Okay, go back to Mexico.
But you're going alone!
Excuse me, but something just fell out of my window onto the interior courtyard.
Do you know what time it is?
What's the matter?
My phone fell out the window onto the interior courtyard.
Your phone?
I'm sorry. Did I hurt you? No.
I'm sorry.
Okay.
I really wanted to see you too.
Thank you, doña Lola.
Is it broken?
Just the screen, but it looks like it's still working.
Thank you.
Álvaro...
Álvaro, it's me.
It's Okay, my husband's asleep.
Open up!
It's Okay, my husband's asleep.
It's me. Open the door.
It's Okay. Open up!
Open up!
I couldn't give a damn who hears me!
Do you get me? And your children?
You hear me? You don't give a damn for them?
You're going to wake them up. You're drunk.
Leave the kids out of this.
Look at me. Don't you dare touch me!
Ah... leave me alone, woman. I just can't believe this.
No! You leave me alone!
You leave me alone!
Please, shut up. The children are asleep, the neighbours are asleep.
I don't care about the fucking neighbours!
Shut up! Shut up! Do you think I care about them?
Don't touch me! Go to hell!
Hi.
I wanted to invite you over to dinner
to talk about your husband's job.
I've been doing some more investigating.
Really?
I haven't got anything concrete yet, but I'm working on it.
I'll talk to Enrique about it. Great!
Can I talk to you alone?
Sure.
I'll be downstairs in half an hour.
Okay. Okay.
Sorry for scaring you like that. That's Okay!
I guess you probably know
that my husband and I have been fighting a lot lately.
No...
Your bathroom window's right next our kitchen window.
In Mexico we had a really different life.
When we first got here, it was so hard,
but we made it through somehow.
Now I'm scared
my husband's going to go back to his old ways.
You don't know him.
Is there something you want to tell me?
No, it's all very personal. I'd rather not talk about it.
I was thinking...
I've never worked.
My husband didn't want me to.
Given the circumstances,
I'm willing to do anything.
Anything's better
than staying at home fighting with him.
Do you think you might be able to help me?
The old man who lives on the fifth floor, Mr. Montero,
he mentioned the other day he was looking for someone
to help him out around the house.
He's a bit of a control freak, but he's got a lot of money.
If you like, I could talk to him for you.
You'd do that for me?
Sure.
It's been a long time since I met someone like you,
someone so willing to help people.
No. Yes.
Well, I don't. Yes, you do.
I have to go.
Please, don't say anything to my husband about this conversation.
Of course not.
Thank you.
See you later.
What was that all about, eh?
Now you're trying to get in the immigrant's pants, eh?
Ma'am, I've no idea what you're talking about.
And what about me, eh?
Good night.
Well...?
I mean...
You mean...?
I admit it's quite intriguing.
It's quite intriguing?
Yes, I mean, putting the neighbour in the old man's house
and convincing her to rob him isn't bad, but...
I don't know. It's still a bit obvious.
Maybe you should go in another direction.
What other direction?
Focus more on the sexual tension between Irene and her neighbour.
Your wife came up with an interesting idea the other day.
She said that the story, indeed it's a good one,
about him wanting to write a book,
and therefore he talks the neighbours into robbing the old man,
this story is in fact a macguffin to tell a big love story.
You spoke to Amanda about my novel?
I told her a bit about it, and gave her a few pages to read.
You gave my novel to my wife to read?
Calm down! What do you mean calm down?
What's really the problem here? That you want to be a writer
or that you're pissed your wife screwed some other guy?
They're two different things.
My wife told you she's screwed another guy?
Listen, I'm not the bad guy here.
I'm just trying to help you.
My wife doesn't know a damn thing about writing.
Your wife's a fantastic woman, you don't know how fantastic she is.
Fantastic.
I'm leaving.
This is what it comes down to, isn't it?
Keep the change, or leave it for the waitress, I don't care.
I was starting to believe you could do it, but you're too scared to go all the way.
You lick your wounds and feel sorry for yourself,
because what's really important to you is your poor, broken heart,
not your novel. You don't have the balls to be a writer.
You're a liar.
What are you talking about, Ma'am? You don't have a job.
You haven't worked there for a long time.
I work for the notary don Alfonso Quiñones.
You were sacked... For incompetence! I went there myself and they told me.
What?
You can't just dump me like that, eh!
What did you think, that I was some stupid young girl?
It's painfully clear that you're not a young girl!
Ma'am.
I want to speak to don Alfonso.
Álvaro, please, calm down.
I have to talk to him. Please. Call him.
Call don Alfonso.
He's busy, and can't see you right now.
Don't make such a fuss. I want to talk to don Alfonso.
I have to talk to him.
He already knows. No, I want to talk to him.
Hey, Álvaro.
What's this about me losing my job
with no right to a redundancy package?
You haven't been in for two months, Álvaro. I thought...
But it was Don Alfonso who told me take a holiday.
Don Alfonso told us you'd quit. I didn't know. I'm sorry.
I had quit?
By the way, I finished your wife's book.
It's such a great read!
Why are you always going on about my wife's book?
I've had it up to here with you talking to me about my wife's book!
My wife and I are separated.
I caught her fucking some other guy in a car!
And her book is a pile of fucking shit!
Cheap literature for people like you,
who've never read a serious book in their fucking life!
And I couldn't give a shit about this job either!
I'm writing a book.
A real book!
Happy birthday, don Felipe!
What?
Today's your birthday, isn't it? No, today is not my birthday!
The super told me it was today.
My birthday's on the 21st of December.
Please, come in. Thank you.
Well... Thank you anyway.
Beautiful.
And how old are you?
74.
Check.
I'm not on the ball today.
And that gun you've got, does it fire?
Does it fire? Of course it fires!
I imagined it could be a replica.
A replica?
Don't you believe me?
Please, come with me.
Here's to dreams. May they all, sooner or later, come true.
Cheers.
Enrique, I gave your CV to a couple of good clients,
but I have to be honest, it doesn't look good.
Nobody seems to be hiring right now.
Thank you anyway, Álvaro.
Yeah, thanks.
There's no need to thank me. The world isn't treating your fairly.
Do you know our neighbour Mr. Montero? The guy in 5A.
He's a real oddball.
He keeps all his money in a safe,
because he says he doesn't trust banks,
and he's got a lot of money.
I'm sure he's earned it. Yeah, sure.
As a fascist soldier!
He's spent most of his life living off his enormous pension.
Meanwhile, you lose your job,
and your kids might not have any food on the table tomorrow.
They sure will.
I'm sorry,
but the unfairness of it all just makes me so mad.
And how do you know he has a lot of money?
He showed it to me.
Really?
And he put his date of birth as the code to the safe,
21st of December, 1941.
21-12-19-41.
The fool opened it up in front me.
Sounds like you know him well. We play chess together sometimes.
I felt sorry for him being on his own the whole time.
You wouldn't believe what a fascist he is!
The other day I asked him for a favour for a friend of mine,
a foreign girl, and he went berserk.
What did he do?
It was really unpleasant. I'd rather not...
Go ahead.
No, honestly...
Please, Álvaro.
It's not worth it. Please.
Why not? Don't you think?
Go ahead.
I asked him for a job for my friend,
and he went as angry as a bear.
Said he'd rather shoot himself than hire an immigrant.
That you're all disgusting pigs who live beyond your means,
robbing the country and taking away the honest folk's daily bread.
He says you deserve
to all be annihilated by some contagious disease,
like AIDS did with the gays.
Cheers.
He's a bastard. Son of a bitch.
He's a disgrace, and I won't be playing with him again.
You spent all night flirting with him.
Don't be ridiculous.
You haven't stopped drinking all night.
Because I was jealous. I saw you with him, and I got jealous.
Don't be foolish.
Enrique, why are you telling me this?
Come here. No, I don't want to.
Well, start moving your ass then,
'cause I'm not going to sit around waiting for our life to go to shit.
Hi. Thanks for coming.
What's wrong?
I'm thinking of leaving my husband.
He's so stressed out, he's becoming more and more unbalanced.
Unbalanced?
He was like that in Mexico.
He drank too much,
smoked two packets a day,
and was always getting into trouble.
I don't want the same thing to happen again.
You have to be patient with him.
This is a difficult time.
I'm worried about my kids, Álvaro.
I have to think about them.
I'm not 20 years old anymore.
I know things are hard,
but he's your husband. You have to support him.
You can't abandon him now.
He's your husband.
Irene...
Álvaro.
Hi.
Have you got a tool kit I could borrow?
I'm taking the beds and wardrobes apart.
How come? We're leaving.
Where are you going? Well...
We can't afford the rent anymore.
And when are you leaving? As soon as possible.
As soon as we've packed everything up.
Just one moment.
Everything's going to be Okay, you'll see.
Yeah. We're doing this for us.
I love you. I love you too.
THE DINNER
TO INOCULATE POISON
SHOW FASCINATION TOWARDS THE COUPLE
Hi.
Thank you.
You're leaving.
Yes.
We're packing everything up now.
Thanks for all your help, Álvaro. There's no need, really.
Yes, there is.
Goodbye.
Oh, my God, he's dead!
He's been murdered!
We have to call the Police.
Mr. Montero is dead. Call the Police!
Please! Please!
Poor man... What's the matter?
Don Felipe has been murdered.
I'm going to call the Police.
Hello? It's the Police?
That's him. Álvaro Martín?
Where were you last night?
I was at home all night.
Is there anyone who can confirm your alibi?
You're not going to believe that crazy old's story, are you?
Answer the question.
I live alone, and I spent the night alone.
The superintendent says that ever since you moved into the building,
you've been trying to coax information out of her
about the neighbours, especially Mr. Montero.
You don't have to coax anything out of that woman.
When did you see Mr. Montero for the last time?
A few days ago, I think. Did you go to his house often?
We played chess together occasionally.
Did you know about the safe?
Yes.
Were you having money troubles?
You were fired from your job.
What's that got to do with anything? Answer the question.
Do you recognise this? It was in your tool box.
We've found traces of blood and DNA belonging to you and Mr. Montero.
I lent it to my neighbours. They needed it for their move.
What move?
They're moving house.
We don't have any records of anyone moving house.
They asked to borrow my toolbox.
Mr. Montero was killed with this screwdriver.
It has traces of blood on it, and your prints, Mr. Martín.
You're going to be held in custody without the right to bail.
They planned the whole thing.
They knew from the start.
It's much better this way.
This is a much better ending.
What a twist!
I would never have come up with that ending!
Sons of bitches...
Sons of bitches!
I found this on his bed.
BIGARREN, FAGGOT!
I told you people were saying you're a faggot.
Son of a bitch! I'm going to blow your head up!
THE END