Synopsis
The story unfolds in the green Pas Valley in the north of Spain. A place that is both mythical and real, the 1000-year-old village seems lost in time. Two attractive young sisters Genia and Val live with their widowed father Gildo, a typically shrewd country man, suspicious of modernity and inclined to exploit his two daughters. Val works from sunup to sundown, while Genia goes to school. Even at the beginning of this new century, the villagers remain firmly attached to local traditions such as the Cow Beauty Contest. But all is not well. The rivalry between Gildo and his neighbor Servo simmers bitterly and one day results in Servo’s death. Servo’s son, Rai is a peaceful hair stylist who lives in the city, having escaped from the harsh and archaic valley. Rai returns to the village for his father’s funeral and to solve the mystery of who killed his father. Seeking the truth, Rai courts Val initially just for clues. Forced by Gildo, Val starts dating Rai to find out how much Rai knows about his father’s death. Little by little, their investigative intentions turn into real attraction tainted by anxiety and guilt. Spanish veteran director Arag—n uncovers the universal questions hiding in the valley in an unexpectedly touching way; conflicts of different values between parents and children, tradition and changes and the meaning of love and how it can free human souls. (Creta D. KIM)