Tengo miedo torero

Santiago, Chile, 1986: La Loca del Frente (The Madwoman of the Front) becomes entangled in the political schemes of Carlos, a young member of the Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front working on an assassination attempt against Pinochet. The setting is precisely that of the year that could have been decisive, but wasn't: the protests, the burning tires in the streets of the capital, the blackouts, the boleros, rancheras, and ballads of the era; the dictator grappling with his inner demons and with his wife, Lucía, obsessed with the latest Nina Ricci designs. "Tengo miedo torero" (I'm Afraid, Bullfighter) is a line from an old song performed by Sara Montiel and the title of Pedro Lemebel's only novel. Considered one of his essential works, it tells the impossible love story between an endearing old madwoman and a young guerrilla fighter.