THIS PROGRAM CONTAINS SCENES OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ABUSE.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
They've arrived!
What are you still doing here?
That goes over there. Hurry.
Welcome to your new home.
My grandfather wanted to conquer the capital and my grandmother's heart
by flaunting a house that was a true reflection of his power.
And we all ended up calling it the Big House on the Corner.
- Férula! - Clara.
- Was the trip exhausting? - Not at all.
What is Europe like? Did you visit the Vatican?
Let her see the house first, then we'll tell you about it.
Come.
The Vatican was beautiful.
Everything you see here is imported.
Overly extravagant for my taste.
Good morning. Thanks.
Don't you think our house measures up to the European mansions we've seen?
This trunk!
Are you here?
Clara.
Are you all right?
Better than ever.
Come.
I have a surprise.
Do you like it?
I love it.
It's beautiful. Thanks.
Look.
Barrabás.
- I told you it was a bad idea. - Shut up and take that thing out of here.
Forgive me, my love.
I only wanted to make you happy.
It's all right.
I'm pregnant.
- Are you sure? - Yes.
I'm going to have a son?
I'm going to have a son.
A firstborn son named after me.
Esteban.
It's a girl.
Her name will be Blanca.
Congratulations, little brother.
THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS
You've been here before,
so you'll get used to it quickly.
But you can't imagine how hot it is here.
Maybe you don't feel it because you're splashing around in there.
Look, it's such a pretty day.
You're doing so well, Blanquita.
Keep it up.
Have you noticed?
She seems more and more detached from reality.
- What do you want me to do about it? - Show some concern.
The doctor said the baby would come in early October,
but it's November already.
Excuse me.
Don't you move now, Blanca.
- Come, my love. - I'm all right.
- Okay. - Let's go.
- It's hot. We don't want to go. - Let's go.
Hello!
- There. - Are you ready?
Yes.
Get in!
The ride isn't nice without a little adventure.
"Adventure," he says.
I've told you a thousand times that we need to sell this... piece of junk.
Nívea, please.
I can't get rid of this little jewel any more than you can get rid of me.
I just can't believe our Clarita is going to become a mom any moment now.
The passing of time is relentless, my love.
But here we are, still together.
Good morning.
Clara, what are you doing?
Tell Eliseo to get the car ready.
But you can't go out like this, not alone. Where do you want to go?
My parents died in an accident.
How did you know?
Forgive me.
You weren't supposed to find out yet, not in your condition.
It's all right.
Let's go now.
Clara, wait.
To protect her, Esteban had tried to keep the secret until after the baby's birth.
I'm coming with you.
Eliseo!
But his good intentions clashed with Clara's certainty
that her parents wouldn't be able to rest in peace.
Clara, please, let's go back. We're very far already.
And in your condition!
Please keep driving. I'll tell you when to stop.
Just like my grandmother had dreamt it,
the brakes in her father's car had stopped working,
which made them crash into a truck loaded with construction materials.
- Here! It's here! - Here?
Yes, it's here.
Down here.
- There? - Yes.
Clara.
Help her!
- Yes. Careful. - Help her.
- Clara. - I'm okay.
- Help her. - Yes.
Esteban's going to kill me.
Mrs. Clara.
But, Clara, we're in the middle of nowhere.
Clara!
- What is it? - What are you doing?
- Eliseo. - Yes?
Do you mind going in there
and passing me the woman's head you're going to find?
- Here? - Yes.
After the impact, an iron sheet had gone through the windshield
cleanly decapitating my great-grandmother Nívea.
Her head had shot out of the car and nobody had been able to find it.
Here it is.
Clara. Are you okay?
- We need to go back now. - Let's go.
Let's go!
Just breathe.
Eliseo! Come on!
Isn't my brother here with the doctor yet? Did you tell him it's urgent?
Yes, ma'am.
- Here. Yes. - Go get some hot water.
Clara.
- More towels. - Yes, sure.
Blanca refuses to be born.
Come. Breathe, come on.
Breathe.
Easy now. I'm here with you.
Breathe. Everything will be all right. Dr. Cuevas is coming.
My granddaughter was too comfortable in there.
We're so proud of you, daughter.
Go back now.
She needs you.
You know better than anyone that we'll always be here.
Looking after you.
And thank you for recovering my head.
Hello, Blanca.
At last, we can look each other in the eye.
Is everything okay?
Sorry for the delay, Clara.
Look at your daughter.
I didn't know you were a midwife, Férula.
Neither did I.
It's a shame you didn't get to meet your grandparents.
You'd have loved them.
- Is she okay? - She's looking well. I'll examine her.
Okay.
Everything is in order.
Would you like to hold her?
No.
- She's perfectly fine. - Thank you.
I'll take another look at her later.
She's so beautiful.
Blanca!
Blanca, where are you?
This is quite heavy.
You could have just brought a little medallion.
It wouldn't cut it.
Saint Anthony helps you find whatever you ask him to.
Clara is always losing something.
Hey, have you seen Blanca?
See what I mean?
Blanquita.
Here you are!
Good job!
I was looking for toys.
Dad's here.
We're going to Las Tres Marías.
What? You're planning on taking all of this?
That godforsaken land lacks even the most basic comforts.
For Clara and the child.
All we want is to see the countryside. Right, honey?
Yes, but I want to see the cows.
Why is she such a mess?
Because she's going to go see the cows, and she's going to have a bath.
Come here, little one.
You want to go because you've never been in a stable reeking of shit.
That wild place is not for someone as delicate as you.
Perhaps Clara is much wilder than you think.
Guys, let's go. Follow me.
These shoes make my feet hurt, but the boss insists I wear them.
You'd rather run around barefoot?
- Are the curtains ready? - Yes, Pancha.
Should we hang them now?
Yes, straight away.
Mom, the boss and his family are arriving.
Although I thought it was a circus.
Where were you last night? You didn't come home.
You've been drinking again.
Put a mint leaf in your mouth and go help.
- Hey! - What?
Make sure the boss sees you.
Welcome, boss.
Why isn't the potato harvest finished yet?
We're on it, boss.
Yes.
Careful! Careful with that!
Welcome, ma'am.
Call me Clara.
- Pedro Segundo, right? - Yes.
We meet at last.
My husband talks about you and your father with the utmost respect.
Is he your son?
He is. Pedro Tercero.
Look, Blanca.
Now you have a friend your own age.
I need help.
Excuse me.
And you? Why aren't you helping?
Come help.
Good morning.
No! No, no, no.
- Not there? - More to the left.
- To the left. - Then you do it.
- No, just... - There.
- Did you make these? - Yes.
Do you like them, ma'am?
It's beautiful work.
Pancha embroidered them.
- Pancha? - Yes.
Excuse me.
I wanted everything to be perfect, but nothing works if I'm not here.
Relax. Everything is perfect, my love.
I didn't know they did embroidery, too.
Yes, we have a sewing workshop.
It's wonderful to finally be here.
I want to know every inch of this land.
This way.
Hail Mary most pure...
Conceived without sin.
I'm listening, child.
The Devil is haunting me.
God's mercy is infinite, my child.
You don't know the thoughts that can inhabit the mind
of a lonely single woman, Father.
I haven't had a good night's sleep in years.
I can't breathe.
Pray.
Praying helps.
Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee...
Not even prayer can stop me from having sinful thoughts.
Tell me what torments you, my child.
I am tempted...
to get into bed...
with my sister-in-law.
A woman can't desire another woman.
Much less if she's your brother's wife.
It's a mortal sin, Férula. You'll go straight to Hell!
Everything you see on that side of the hill is to feed the animals.
And on the other side of the hill, it's for export.
Great.
- How do the reins feel? - Good.
- Good? - It's a nice day.
Shall we go to the river?
Yes, let's go!
Not so fast!
I think I want to get off.
Would you like to swim?
I warn you, the water is very cold.
Clara, are you all right?
I feel dizzy.
I might be pregnant again.
But that's good news.
Yes.
Come on.
Esteban, do you hear the birds?
No.
Would you like to go back?
Let's go.
Careful.
I feel something strange in this place.
Slow down!
Come on! Come on!
No, kick it!
Too slow!
Good morning.
- Enjoy your meal. - Thank you.
Blanca!
Mr. Pedro.
No "mister."
Just call me Pedro.
Look.
With these little balls, you can make anything you want.
Here, Blanquita, Pedro.
- First, you need to listen to the clay. - Yes.
Look.
What?
Welcome, Mrs. Clara.
Call me Clara.
Clara.
So? Are you getting used to this place?
Yes.
Grandmother said hydrangeas brought her so much peace.
And if you want blue flowers, you need to bury a copper coin
- next to the root. - Yes.
Is that true?
You're full of surprises, Férula.
- Did you know that? - Yes.
Did you? I didn't.
You know what?
I'll go find a coin.
- Come, let's plant it. - Yes.
- Is it ready? - Not yet.
Not yet?
Do you need anything?
I'm sorry, I didn't ask your name.
They call me Pancha.
Nice to meet you, Pancha.
I'm Clara.
You have the nicest room.
I can't take credit for it.
Everything about you is so delicate.
Your clothes,
your jewels,
your daughter.
There's nothing delicate about my son.
And to think that they come from the same seed.
Here's the curtain you were missing.
Have a good day.
Clara?
Continue without me.
I need to take a walk by myself.
- Don't, please! - That's it!
Don't, please!
Please!
My grandmother's ability to see the invisible
made her connect with the profound pain those lands kept in their memory.
That's how I came to learn what had happened.
Before Pancha García, it was her mother.
And before her mother, her grandmother.
They all had suffered the same fate.
Clara.
Clara, are you all right?
What happened?
Was it Esteban?
Did he hurt you?
Not me, no.
A worker.
More than one.
- Now? - No.
Years ago, it seems.
Then, it's best not to dig up the past, Clara.
I don't know how I didn't see it before.
I should have seen it.
If you had, you wouldn't have married him.
There is nothing you can do.
Men can't control themselves, they're all the same.
My son won't be like that.
Clara.
You and my brother are bonded by God.
Nothing and no one can tear you two apart.
Esteban loves you.
Maybe in the only way he learned how to love.
But he loves you.
And he's a better man since you've entered his life.
I'll always be by your side.
Always.
I promise you.
Thank you.
I need you by my side, Férula.
Clara.
Aren't you going to come sleep in our bedroom?
Pancha.
What can we do for you?
I'd like to talk to you in private.
You can speak openly.
Almost all of us here share the same story.
I was the first one, that's all.
I'm truly sorry that you've had to suffer so much.
- I'd like to help. - Madam,
we'd rather you let us work.
Here, we look after each other.
Have a good day.
Clara felt she had to do everything in her power to bring about a change,
because she had learned from her mother
that charity was pointless without justice.
- Come in. - Thank you, Pedro.
This place is so dusty.
We'll need a blackboard and some desks.
In the meantime, we'll make do with what we have.
Don't worry. I'll make sure you have everything you need.
Don't! Allow me.
Have you noticed that our kids are inseparable?
You're right.
I think their souls know each other.
Do you believe in reincarnation?
I'm not the right person to ask about those things.
You must believe in something.
I believe there is a time for everything.
Like the seasons.
Even if you wanted to, you can't delay winter.
Do you know what else I believe?
That what you plan on doing here will be a very good thing for everyone.
I hope so, Pedro.
Careful. I'll take it.
Careful. It's--
Hey, you are strong!
I have a dairy cow
She's no ordinary cow
She gives me condensed milk
Oh, what a wonderful cow
Ding dong, ding dong
Now with "A"!
In the months that followed,
my grandmother spent most of her time at the new school.
Almost all the kids on the farm attended.
Okay.
Very good.
Beautiful.
Very good. All done?
In the evening, before the men came back from the fields,
Férula brought all the women together to pray the Rosary.
She did it out of devoutness,
but, above all, to have a little time with my grandmother,
who made use of those meetings to repeat what she'd learned from her own mother.
We should have the same rights as men and make our own decisions.
I know it may sound strange.
I'm not saying you should challenge your husbands.
I'm saying that we should respect ourselves more.
The women listened to her out of respect,
but her provocative words sounded irrational to their ears.
The only reason my grandmother accepted to go back
to the Big House on the Corner was because she would soon give birth.
What is it, Blanca, honey?
- You don't want to leave, do you? - No.
I'd like to stay, too.
- What about Pedro? - Pedro can't come, sweetie.
But I promise you you'll see him every summer.
Okay?
Clara, get in, please.
The teacher who will take my place at the school starts next week.
The children still need materials.
You can count on me. I give you my word.
It's so nice to be back.
Hey, even I missed you.
So long...
- Who is this big princess? - Eliseo, get all the suitcases.
And you, my girl.
- Bring the luggage inside. - Yes.
What happened to you over there?
You look different somehow.
- Go ahead. - Let's go.
You must be exhausted. Come in.
- How are you? - Good, sir.
Clara, I'll draw you a bath.
Clara, I know things haven't been good between us.
Look.
I hope you like it.
Thank you.
I need to feel you close again.
We're having another child.
I hope it's a boy this time so he can be named after me.
His name will be Jaime.
Jaime?
Why do you want to give my son a merchant's name?
He must be named Esteban, after his father.
Repeated names cause confusion in the life diaries.
That's why his name is Jaime.
What's wrong with you?
What did I do?
Why have you changed so much?
I've been patient all these months, but I won't allow this!
Did you know you move your ears when you get angry?
What?
What happened?
Are you all right?
Yes, I'm all right. Don't worry.
Milk!
Get your milk!
CRISTOBAL COLON HOTEL
Monsieur, welcome.
Looking for anything in particular? We have something for everyone.
I want the best in the house.
I like you, monsieur. One second.
I'm happy to see you, boss.
They said you wanted the best in the house.
Tránsito?
I told you we'd see each other again.
Now I can pay back your loan.
With interest, because with inflation,
those 50 pesos are not worth what they once were.
Keep it.
I'd rather you owe me a favor.
I have lots of ideas to revamp the Cristóbal Colón.
You should set up your own business.
Be a madame.
I can provide the capital.
No, thank you, boss.
It's not a good deal for me to change one capitalist for another.
What we should do
is create a cooperative of whores and queers to expand the business.
As for being a madame,
fuck that.
We'll see each other again, boss.
Take your time.
Are you okay?
Férula, come.
Come.
There's plenty of space here.
I've never gotten used to the tremors from earthquakes.
I must be the only one in this country.
Being unique is good, in my opinion.
Is it your heart that's beating so loudly?
It is!
Clara.
What?
Thank you...
for saving my life.
I did not do such a thing.
Clara?
Are you awake?
- What are you doing? - Esteban. No.
- Esteban! - Don't you dare move from that bed!
Clara, no.
- Calm down, Esteban, please! - Leave her alone!
Esteban, don't you dare touch her!
Calm down! I haven't done anything!
You were always jealous of my life. You've poisoned my wife against me!
Esteban, what are you doing?
Esteban, no. No!
Get away from my family,
or I will kill you.
Esteban, open the door!
Esteban, don't you dare touch her!
I curse you, Esteban.
Open the door!
What are you doing?
Your body and your soul will shrivel.
Get the fuck out!
No!
Esteban, don't!
You will die alone like a dog.
What are you doing?
- What have you done? - That bitch is dead to our family!
Férula!
Don't leave me, please!
Please, come back!
Férula!
My grandmother looked for her relentlessly using all the divination methods she knew,
and more traditional ones, too.
Until she understood that you cannot find someone who doesn't want to be found.
Férula.
To cope with her absence,
she plunged into the world of dreams and apparitions.
And she needed a cataclysm to plant her feet back on the ground.