Dime, niña bonita

When her mother leaves, Manuela finds herself trapped between a father who seeks refuge in alcohol and a grandmother determined to protect him at any cost. In that house, every form of harm is given a more bearable name: violence becomes sadness; fear becomes concern; forgiveness becomes a form of affection. Manuela understands her father’s reasons and his suffering—and, despite everything, she loves him. She is also afraid of him. Both are true. Only Lola makes the world seem, once again, like an open, luminous place—a place of possibility. With her, Manuela can stop keeping a constant watch over every gesture and every word. But loving someone does not mean that person knows how to take care of us, and even the safest refuge can turn into another kind of danger.