The year was 1980,
and the guerrilla group M-19
was taking over the Dominican embassy in Bogotá.
Meanwhile, the Soviet Union was hosting the Olympic Games,
and the United States was boycotting them.
Movie theaters were playing American Gigolo,
The Shining,
and Fame.
That was the year Alfonso Flores won the Tour de l'Avenir.
And Umberto Eco published The Name of the Rose.
It was also the year Led Zeppelin's drummer John Bonham died,
and John Lennon was murdered in New York.
The Tribe was still living in 364,
which was now home to Pabón's experimental theater group.
They were influenced and inspired by Antonin Artaud,
particularly his book The Theatre and Its Double,
which emphasized something called "anthropological dramaturgy."
Salcedo was still working as a DJ in the salsa club.
And although he was still having a passionate affair with Madame White,
he claimed he had his habit under control.
Come on! Come on! Yeah!
Whoa! Hey! Whoo!
Castro was also working at the club as a bouncer.
He had done the job before, when he was at school,
but he resisted coming back to it for a long time.
And after he had to give up soccer because of his injury,
he had these outbursts of aggression
that showed just how angry and frustrated he was deep down.
He's in cardiac arrest.
Luisa was working as a nurse in a city hospital,
and she'd finally been able
to start studying to be doctor on the side.
Everyone said that she was an outstanding student.
-Her work was exemplary. -Excuse me!
My mom was still juggling her job as a secretary at the school,
taking care of the house, being a grandmother,
and, as if that wasn't enough,
she was the top student in her night school class.
Mrs. Ana was doing it all.
That's why our school succeeds…
Janet graduated from high school,
and Rosario and my dad were starting to think about her future,
where her life was heading.
Things weren't looking great though, because, in those days,
there was still a lot of discrimination,
and work opportunities for people with disabilities
were few and far between.
Meanwhile, I was in the middle of promoting my first novel.
Hi.
First, I'd like to, um… to thank the publisher
for inviting me today
to present the first literary work of this young author, Camilo Granados.
I'd like to express, uh, my sincere thanks
to everyone at Bujaín
for permitting us to use their beautiful space.
It's a temple to literature.
Well, time to hear from you.
-How are you, Camilo? -Uh, fine.
Well, I'm sort of nervous, but, you know, fine.
It's okay. We came here to support you.
And because you have our support, um… I'll begin by asking,
is your novel, The First Woman, a work of autobiographical fiction?
I ask because, in just a few hundred pages,
there's so, uh… so much candor, so much confession,
so much personal vulnerability.
Uh, well, to be honest, I…
I don't know if I would define the story as autobiographical.
Uh, however, I can assure you that…
that many of the characters and events in the story
are, uh, inspired by real anecdotes and people I've encountered.
It's, uh… It's rooted in certain experiences
that I've been lucky to have.
With special people who are very close to me
and who came into my life at a specific moment.
THE FIRST WOMAN
And is this… a love story, Camilo?
Mm, no doubt. Of course.
I'd be lying if I said it wasn't.
Please, a round of applause for Camilo Granados…
-Yes! -…and his book, The First Woman.
Yeah! Granados!
Camilo!
-Here. Love you, Mom. -Sign my book?
Here. But you have to read it, Pop.
Hey, you know I'm new to reading, but it's my son's book,
so I'll make it happen.
Okay, sure. We'll see.
Thanks, Camilo.
Dang.
Excuse us.
Come on.
-All right, I-- -Whoa, whoa. Hang on. Here.
-What's shaking, brother? -I have to ask you something, all right?
Did I show up in there at all?
You know I'm not much of a reader. Get a migraine whenever I try.
Well, if you wanna find out, then get yourself a bottle of aspirin.
Man, you're brutal.
All right. Uh…
Please, go on.
I'd say I deserve a signed dedication, right?
These pages, every word…
um, well, the whole book's a dedication to you, Eva.
FOR THE GREAT LOVE OF MY WHOLE LIFE CAMILO GRANADOS
I love you.
I love you so much.
Thanks for being my rock.
Hmm.
EVA LASTING
"THE FIRST WOMAN" "EPISODE 1"
Antonia?
Antonia, come here.
You can't come in here anymore, okay, sweetie?
But I want Daddy.
I know, but your daddy's not there, honey.
-Okay. -Mommy, I wanna see Daddy.
Let's get Daddy then.
You're leaving?
Yeah, we are.
With Toñita?
So am I.
Why?
Uh, we've been thinking hard about this for a few days.
Look, I mean, you guys are honestly the best people in the world.
But this house is a bad environment
for a mother to raise her little girl.
-Does that make sense? -Oh, shit.
-Dammit. -It's the parties?
There's more than one reason.
We both thought this would be a good idea, because our relationship is ready to grow,
and we want more intimacy.
We both wanna try living alone…
uh, without you.
Oh. Oh, I get it. Okay.
-I mean, I see how it is. -Hmm.
Look, guys, come on. We're still the Tribe.
We'll always be. Right?
-Yeah. Yeah, no doubt. -Yeah, sure.
Hell yeah, we will.
It's good.
Obviously.
-You know I'm gonna miss you like crazy. -I'm gonna miss you so much.
-Good luck, guys. -But, look, I get it.
We all want good things for you.
Thanks.
And be careful. Remember, you're the only girl now.
-Mm. -Be tough on them.
-I know these boys too well. -Ugh!
Yeah, I guess I'm the woman of the house,
but, oh God, I don't wanna become their surrogate mother.
-You won't. -You're irreplaceable. Hmm?
Well, anyway, if things get complicated,
call me, and I'll run right over and put these boys in their place.
-I'll call you up, sure. -I got you.
No, I understand they can fend for themselves, but just, uh…
Take care of them, please. And especially Antonia. Hmm?
Don't worry, brother. Come on. You know the deal.
She's family, just like you guys. Our place is five blocks down the street.
-You can come visit whenever you want. -Perfect.
I'll come visit my angel all the time.
-Take care. -I love you, brother.
Love you too, man. I love you. Thanks a lot.
Oh, look! Mommy's here.
-Ready? You wanna head out? -She wants to leave.
I wanna go over there again.
-Yeah? -Yeah.
-Look, I hope you're not mad or anything. -No, don't worry about that.
You're doing what's best for you. I understand.
Actually, I'm proud of you for putting our princess first.
Well, you know we're gonna have an open-door policy at our new place.
-Right. -You can visit her whenever you want.
Arbeláez was telling me that. Of course I'll be there.
All right, come on. Let's say goodbye. This car charges by the hour.
All right. Time to say bye-bye to your uncles.
-See ya. -Bye-bye, sweetheart.
That's my big girl.
-Okay, sweetie, say bye to Uncle Martín. -There she is.
Here. Who's the most beautiful girl, huh?
-There you go. -Goodbye, honey.
There's still some time left to reconsider.
What's this little princess gonna do without her favorite uncle, huh?
Mm. So pretty.
-I'm sorry. -Hmm?
But you'll be able to come over and see her whenever you want to.
Yeah, but it won't be the same. You know that.
-I'll show up and read to you. -Make sure you bring her a bunch of candy.
-Give her a sugar high. -Let's go.
-Bye, guys. -Bye.
There's always time to change, Martín.
Okay? Don't forget that.
All right. And what do we say?
-Love you! -Love you!
-I'll get the door. -Love you!
-Aw! So nice. Good job, baby. -I love you, my little angel.
We're going to the new apartment We're going to the new apartment
-You ready to see it? -Take care of them, okay?
You bet.
-Bye, sweetheart. -Ready?
Bye, my little princess.
-All right. Take care. -You too. Take care of yourself.
Yeah, sure. All right!
-You super excited? -Yeah.
Yeah?
-Later. -Bye, sweetheart!
-See you. -Love you. Be good.
Bye. Be careful.
Be strong, okay?
It's all right, brother. You'll be okay.
Mm.
Hey, who's gonna make dinner now?
-No, I'm just saying… -Come on, dude.
You fucking asshole! You think you can get away?
We're in public! Knock it off!
When Luisa and Arbeláez left,
I was suddenly faced with all these unanswered questions.
Then I remembered that, once, in Professor Adolfo's class,
we had read a passage by his favorite author,
Friedrich Nietzsche,
which was all about departures and separations.
But when I looked for the book, The Birth of Tragedy,
I came face to face with the philosopher himself.
-What's up, kid? Hey. -Dad, what--
The worst a person can do is abandon their tribe or herd,
or what has come to be known as "the family."
-Why are you dressed like that? -Individualization is separation.
-And separation is agony. -Huh?
The yearning for inclusion will always be part of the human condition.
We long to be part of a herd or a group of some kind.
We come together for parties and events.
We try to become one with each other through intercourse.
Those pleasures are short-lived and, ultimately, insufficient.
Well, but don't you, uh… think separation is inevitable, or…
According to whom?
-According to history, Marx, Engels-- -Ah, you little fool!
I ought to give you a good thrashing.
Life isn't governed by order, not by evolution or progress. No, sir.
It's just a series of random events, utterly devoid of coherence.
In the words of William Shakespeare, life is "a tale told by an idiot,
full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
Okay, so…
So… from the herd to the tribe, from the tribe to the couple,
from the couple to the separation of all single units from the whole.
And that is true loneliness.
Sorry to be gloomy, but you're talking to a nihilist.
Oh, Dad, come on. You're a nihilist? Really?
-I still don't know why-- -Camilo.
What is it?
What are you doing?
-Just waiting for you. -Ah.
Fortunately, Luisa went to live with Toña and Arbeláez
in La Nueva Santa Fe,
an apartment complex which was really close to the 364,
which meant I could come visit the baby practically every day.
Everybody, take a seat. The food's ready.
-Oh yeah, finally, food's here! -I made pasta.
-Yes, ma'am! -Sh!
Guys, quiet down. Seriously, okay?
She's finally asleep. I was worried she'd be up all night.
-Looks great. -She's like a wind-up doll.
Have you decided what to do with the empty room yet?
Well, since you left, we can rent it, right?
Sh!
We could make some cash to help with bills and utilities and all that.
Yeah, but bringing someone new into the 364 could be a disaster.
Come on, I don't think bringing one more person into the house
is gonna change stuff for us, is it?
So I agree with you all the way.
I think we rent the room out
and get a little extra cash from our new houseguest.
Wait. Pabón's got a point here.
'Cause, well, bringing a stranger into the house,
that can be like playing the lottery.
Then we look for someone we already know. Simple as that. Done.
I don't know. What's your opinion?
Well, I mean, it's a decision that affects the whole house.
-Exactly. -That means we should vote on it.
-Cool. I'm voting yes. -Yeah, same here.
I vote no.
I think we'd be better off turning that room into, um…
into a guest room or a study.
Yeah, that makes sense. I vote for that. Much better idea.
Your turn, Eva.
Final vote.
I think we should rent the room out.
-Hell yeah! -And that's that.
I guess we know who calls the shots.
Perfect.
-We know who wears the pants. -Yes.
-Hey, Guillermo. How are you? -Sorry for the wait.
But there are rumors the M-19 is gonna be on the attack.
Our team is trying to figure out what's going on.
Oh.
Get me the media services desk at the Presidency of the Republic.
Don't worry. I'm not gonna take that much of your time, okay?
Okay, go on.
I wanna submit an essay
for your newspaper's supplemental literary periodical.
Well, actually, it's part of a study I've been working on. "Self-narratives."
It's my favorite project at school.
What's it about?
Abigaíl Mejía.
She was an unsung Dominican literary critic and writer.
Back in the early '30s, she wrote Feminist Ideology,
a pioneering text of the movement.
Interesting.
-Yes. Very. -Excuse me. Uh, sir?
-Oh. Oh, hey. -What's up?
Didn't know you were here.
Suddenly, it felt like Eva and I were out of sync or something.
First, she decided not to support me
when we voted on the issue of renting out the spare bedroom at the 364.
And then, one day, I ran into her in my boss's office,
and I found out she never told me she was planning on submitting her essay
to the newspaper's Arts and Culture supplement.
Was it a communication problem
or something else?
Was I supposed to ask her?
Or was I just making a mountain out of a molehill,
like I had done so many times before?
I don't understand what the problem is.
In the new apartment, with Luisa and Arbeláez,
we made a plan to find a person that one of us knows.
Snorting lines with someone doesn't mean you know them.
Wait. No, no. Hang on, man.
Trust me. I know her a lot better than you think, brother.
Hey, don't forget, this is the woman who cured my depression.
-Right? -Yeah. I just don't get the problem.
Vandalia's pretty nice. Come on. She'd be perfect for the empty room.
I'm sure you'd love to have your own personal dealer in the house.
Oh, I'm shocked, Paboncito.
You rehearse your experimental plays in our backyard. We keep our mouths shut.
-Okay, easy. -Whoa! Bringing out the dirty laundry.
Relax. We're looking for another rehearsal space.
-Cool it. -Take it easy.
-I don't think we need more problems here. -I'm with Granados on this one.
Why don't we do this democratically?
Vote? Again?
Welcome to the official congress of the Republic of the 364.
What, you got a better idea, Pabón?
All right, I vote no.
-I vote we take time to think about it. -Really?
-Okay, no. I'll go with Pabón. I vote no. -The noes have it.
No, no. That means we're two and two. You're the final vote.
-Okay, no. -Uh…
Well, I don't really want
to have the responsibility of being the only woman.
And plus, I don't mind Vandalia much, so I'm voting yes.
There you go, Samper! Samper for president!
I took that second electoral defeat in silence.
I didn't say anything
because I was a little stunned and I needed time to process things.
But, little did I know, a new conflict was about to explode.
Huh?
What the hell? That fucking prick!
No.
-Hey, dude. -Yo.
What are you doing in here?
When Ismael sees you left your post, he's gonna fire your ass.
No, no, no. It's… it's fine. We're good. He only shows on the weekends.
-I want to talk to you for a second. -About what?
Hmm? Read it already?
Yep. You better read it too.
Ooh, no, brother. Give me a summary. It's pretty thick.
Okay, sure. Well, here it goes.
According to our buddy, little Mr. Granados,
we are a group of stupid, poor, self-absorbed, and immoral party animals.
-Mm. -Are you serious?
You know what? Just read it.
Skim the first couple of pages. You'll see what I'm talking about, brother.
But, hey, I'm warning you, the character based on you
has an intense, passionate affair with another member of our crew.
Pabón.
It's pretty good. You should read it.
I'll leave it.
Camilo, I gotta say, I'm very disappointed
with the way you characterized us in your novel, son.
Think you're being accurate here? Let's see. "Soon I realized that my…"
"…my father could be both highly authoritarian
and intransigent one moment,
and the next, would indulge in anachronistic
and superstitious religious fanaticism."
-Is that what you think of me? -No, of course I don't.
-José, you know that's kind of realistic. -Look, this is really serious, Ana.
I didn't say it wasn't. Relax.
Dad, for God's sake. It's literature. It's fiction.
Uh, I… I took poetic license and changed the names too.
-Oh, really? So explain why it says here… -That's just what the--
"In his promising debut, Camilo Granados offers us…"
-"…an autobiographical novel…" -Yeah.
-"…with heart and raw sincerity." -But--
-"Autobiographical." -No. I get it.
The publisher writes the jacket, okay? I write the rest. Just not that, Dad.
If I remember correctly, on the day of the book release, you said
that the characters and events were based on things you'd experienced in real life.
Which means we're the ones who inspired the book.
Right, exactly, José. It was "inspired." So don't take it literally.
"Inspired." Do you… You probably don't even know what that means.
-Doesn't know "literal" either. -Mm-hmm. Dad's the problem. Sure.
-No. -No, José.
-Arbeláez, Luisa, I'll come by to visit. -José.
-What are you doing? -Okay, bye, honey.
-Goodbye. -You're ruining our time with Toñita.
I'll call you soon.
-José. -See that? Huh!
Let's go, baby.
-You upset, or… -Good night, Camilo.
What's the matter, Luisa? Bye, sweetheart.
So what now?
We don't like how she came across in the book, so we're upset.
-Nah! I wasn't trying to make… -Will you read to me tonight?
Sure. And Daddy will do the voices.
BREAKTHROUGH AUTHOR OF THE MONTH: CAMILO GRANADOS
Camilo.
Come here.
-What's up? -Not much. What's that?
Oh, uh, I was working on that essay about Abigaíl Mejía. It's crazy.
I tried the library over at school, the National, the Luis Ángel,
but they barely had any information on her.
Dang. Well, you might wanna check the documents at the Dominican embassy.
-That's where she grew up? -Yeah.
Well, they gotta have information on her. Or they might tell you where to look next.
-Right. Yeah, yeah. Smart idea. -Okay.
Thanks. Yeah. No, hold on. Wait a second.
Hey.
I hope you're not mad at me anymore.
-Hmm? -Uh…
You can't deny that something got under your skin, Camilo.
Was it because of the voting thing?
Look, Eva, it's just…
Come here.
You and I are a… a couple now, okay?
And when we make all these major decisions,
or when we vote at the house, I think we should speak with one voice.
We should always agree.
And, like, if you're about to drop in the newsroom
to see Mr. Manosalva, I feel like I should know about that.
Camilo… the fact that me and you are together now
doesn't mean we have to let go of our individuality.
-No, no. I know. -Okay?
The thing is, I don't need a copy of myself by my side.
And I don't need a guy that's trying to monitor everything I do.
-Right. -I need someone that complements
my identity, that gives me a sense of freedom.
And if necessary, pushes me to continue on the journey of growth
and self-discovery.
Mm-hmm.
What's the matter?
I got upset earlier 'cause, tonight,
I went over to Luisa's to visit Toña and my pop, and…
well, he was angry 'cause of what I wrote in the book, I guess.
-Seriously? -Yeah, the whole family was.
Especially Luisa.
-She would barely even speak to me. -No. Unbelievable.
Do you think I was unfair to them in the story?
No. No, they have to understand that it's just fiction.
Well, they obviously don't. They don't get the book.
I feel like I might have betrayed everybody just to write a novel.
I had never needed a kiss so badly in my life.
And I was never the same after that night,
because I began to realize that words could be weapons
and literature was far from an innocent art.
-Congratulations. -Thank you.
I would like to thank the Academy for this enormous honor.
I'm proud to be the first Colombian to win the Nobel.
I owe my success to the loyalty of my family and my friends,
who have not only been a huge inspiration
but have also been companions through it all.
Thanks a lot.
What the…
-Someone there? -Open up! Open the door, you asshole!
What's going on? What's up, guys? What is it?
-You're a little rat, Granados! -What?
"Camargo was a genius at football, but he had a sadistic personality."
"At times, it seemed like
he took a sick pleasure in pitting people against one another."
Am I this guy Camargo? You gonna lie about it?
No. But--
"Sánchez was a typical schoolyard bully."
"And because he was inept with words and arguments,
he often punched his way out of conflict, only to discover, in the end,
that it was all a facade to hide his homosexuality."
-So I'm really Sánchez? -It's--
-So I'm a little fairy? I'm a fag? -No.
-Jesus Christ. Come on, calm down. -Shut your mouth!
-It's fiction. -Yeah, stop defending him.
It makes sense. She's the only one in the book who seems like a good person.
No! You have to understand, when you write, you have to put--
-You have to shit on your friends? -What? No. No.
-You are inspiration. -Don't bullshit me, brother.
At your fucking release party,
you said all the characters in the book are actually based on us.
-"Based on." Exactly! -And that's us, dumbass!
We know it's us.
It's one thing to screw us over. You can't be like that to Luisa.
I mean, you called her stupid. That shit's not gonna fly with me.
-No, sir! -You know what, motherfucker? Get bent!
-Oh, wow! What a great dude! -Yeah, run away!
Shits on us to make himself famous, expects us to pat him on the back.
What do you want? I can't take this shit!
Go fuck yourself, you bastard!
-Enough! -Hey!
Hey.
I'm sorry, it's just,
our lovely new tenant is all ready to move in today.
Hi!
-What's poppin', you guys? -Dickhead.
We're almost done. Just a few more boxes.
-Can I get a hand? -Yeah, sure. I'll help you.
So, I read your book.
And?
How was it?
Well, I gotta say…
Nothing. I loved it, dude.
-Jesus, man. You got me really good. -Relax. It's a work of art.
I totally understand.
To be honest, I should be thanking you for ending my story happily with Salcedo.
Oh, well, glad you liked it.
I guess that's why they say that, in literature,
you don't necessarily show the world as it is.
-You show the world you wanna see. -Yeah. Right. That's true.
Well, now… …we have to make the guys wrap their heads around that.
They think I screwed them over.
Right.
Thing is, though, I have a little proposal.
All right.
I wanna do an adaptation of the mushroom section
and put it up on stage.
It's perfect for the project I'm working on. How about it?
Oh, jeez, man. I don't know.
Look, I don't know. It's just…
All the drama that's going on already, well, if you commit to that,
Salcedo, Castro, and Luisa,
even my dad, they'll think I'm provoking them or something.
It's better not to.
Well, they can fuck off. Who told them to be so close-minded?
-No. No, really. -This is art, right?
I think we should lower the temperature and not add more fuel to the fire.
That sounds like censorship.
Well, no.
If I have to choose between writing literature and my friends,
I would choose you guys.
Maybe you don't really have to choose.
Anyway, I gotta take off.
-Okay. -Later, Granados. Later, Granados.
-You smart-ass. -Good luck.
Later that day, I had to write a review of The Shining,
Stanley Kubrick's horror masterpiece that had just been released.
But, ironically, it was starting to feel like more than just a movie to me.
Because of the way my friends were reacting to my book,
I was living my own personal horror story.
Please!
Here's Johnny!
Good afternoon. How can I help you?
Hello?
This is he. Who am I talking to?
This is one note. This is another. Okay?
Covered. Uncovered. Covered.
-Right. And it's always four beats. -Right.
-Two, three, and four. -Two, three, four.
Very nice! See? You just have to do it over and over.
Practice makes perfect. I'll help. Just be patient.
-What's going on? -And four.
What's up? Hey.
-How are you? -Hey.
Uh, I'm… I'm going to head out, all right?
-I should get a head start on dinner. -Okay.
This one's all on me. I'm gonna whip up something special. See ya.
She says she's cooking for everybody tonight.
-Oh, really? -Mm-hmm.
Uh, so… didn't know you were taking music lessons.
There's always more to learn, right?
Mm-hmm.
So, how was school? What's new there?
Not much,
but I actually scheduled an appointment
to visit the Dominican embassy this Wednesday.
Incredible.
It's perfect too, because they'll be celebrating their Independence Day.
They told me lots of people will be there.
Like, every Dominican luminary living in Colombia,
including a professor who specializes in Abigaíl Mejía.
-Amazing. -Right?
I knew it.
-Hmm? -The secret was in that embassy.
Thanks.
I've got some news too.
So, the publishing house gave me a call recently.
They told me that the novel is selling better than they expected.
They think they might want to release a second edition.
-Are you serious? -Yeah.
Well, we have to celebrate.
Mm… I don't know.
What's the problem?
Well, it's just that
I'm not really sure I should, uh… uh…
release another edition right now.
Is it because they're mad at you, Álvaro and Martín?
Yeah, and Luisa and my old man.
I've been lying to myself, Eva.
I took a lot of liberties with…
I screwed up. And now everyone's pissed off at me.
Well, I mean, eventually, they'll have to understand.
Understand what, Eva?
That I used them to write a version of my own story
that obviously doesn't do them justice?
No. What you did has nothing to do with justice.
It has to do with literature, which is completely different.
Exactly. That's the point.
But lately, I keep asking myself if it's appropriate
to take license with peoples' lives when I decide to write a book.
And I don't think so. I don't have that right.
I gotta accept that I really made a mistake
and I hurt all the people I love most in the world.
They don't deserve it.
-Camilo. -Forget it.
To get us started off on the right foot,
I prepared this delicious meal for you guys.
But don't get used to being served, boys. I'm not your new cook.
That's a damn shame. It looks delicious.
You and me could have a private dinner.
-Whoa. Careful what you say, Castro. -No.
Remember who's at the table with us.
Just shut up, okay, Martín?
Got it? Let's have a nice meal.
No, no, no! It's for me. It's for me. Thanks.
-We have come up with a story. -This is all you talk about?
-Beauty and the Beast. -Exactly.
The dipshit who wanted to marry the millionaire.
-Shut up! -Guy's a pushover cuckold.
Beauty and the Dumbass Cuckold. Ha!
Could you please not talk while you're eating?
-Put a sock in it. -What's up with these guys?
Guys, we just sat down at the table, all right?
-Hang on. -Come on.
Come on. Just show us around a little.
Fine, but you can't stay too long.
-Check out this house. -I think they're, uh…
-No. -No?
-No. -Come on! What do you mean?
No.
Oh. One sec.
Sure.
-What's going on? -Yeah? What?
-Oh my God. You're so beautiful, you know? -Thanks. I'm in pajamas. What is it?
Nothing. I don't want anything.
I just came by to check in and see if, uh…
if you needed anything, if you want a hand or needed help.
-If everything is okay. -No, all good here. Totally good, yeah.
-I gotta go to bed. We'll talk tomorrow. -Come on. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
-Vandalia, think about it. -Yeah?
You wanna sleep in that little bed all alone?
In this house?
I'm telling you, it's haunted.
Oh. No. Not a chance.
Let me set the record straight for you, okay?
Mm-hmm.
Sure, we might have had a history together,
but that doesn't give you a free pass
to come to me whenever you want and beg me to sleep with you.
Grow up, Castro.
Besides, we live in the same house.
I don't want this to become a… a weird partnership
or one of those games we're both too old for.
So why don't you go to your room,
take a very cold shower, and take care of yourself?
Go--
-Get out of my face. -Come on, Vandalia.
-Night. Sweet dreams. -Vandalia. No, no, wait. I can just…
So, anyway, that is not happening. No way.
How do you live in the same house with your boyfriend?
Oh, well…
Honestly, we try to stay committed to… uh, respecting each other's individuality.
Or, well, I hope so anyway.
How long you been together?
Mm… Gosh. It's a long story.
Doesn't it get pretty boring?
Well, I think we've been through so much,
we haven't had a chance to get bored of it yet.
What's your deal? You have a partner?
Oh no!
No.
-I'd say I'm more like a surfer, I guess. -Mm-hmm.
Yeah, my thing is, like, I go from one wave to another, from one to another.
But I never lose momentum.
-Have you ever been in love before? -Yeah, of course. With women, with men.
I've had romances with three or four people.
-You should try it. -Mm. Oh, I have.
-Yeah? And? -Didn't turn out like I expected.
But because of them, I bet.
-Yep. -You know what?
I've done better with women than I have with men, actually.
-Really? -Yeah. But…
But I like everyone. You ever been with a woman?
No.
Well, if you wanna try, here I am.
No, seriously.
I think you're beautiful. You look divine.
Mm. You're super hot…
…intelligent, and a… a great person.
If you want, I can show you how.
I'll keep that in mind.
Thanks a lot.
Let's do another lesson.
What a smooth way to shoot me down!
-All right. Go ahead. -Let's see.
I understand. Don't worry. No, really.
All right. One, two, three, and four.
-Vandalia is gone. -Okay, cool.
Perfect. Now we can talk about what's going on.
I want us to keep it civil.
-I know that's a lot to ask. -I'll tell you what's going on.
These two pricks already have it out for Vandalia.
-Poor thing. -Really?
She just got here. They already wanna kick her to the curb.
All right, come on, I don't… don…
don't have a problem with Madame White and what you do with that bullshit.
But I won't let her use the 364 as a trap house.
-Yeah. -Hold on.
We can't jump to conclusions just because two people came to visit her yesterday.
What? No, it was more than that. I mean, I saw…
This morning, she came out with people.
-All lit up. -Yeah, I saw them too.
You're worse than our little writer here, aren't you?
Vandalia has a couple of visitors
and suddenly she's Tony Montana or something, is that it?
Yeah, and besides, man,
even if she is selling her merchandise here, what's the problem?
-"What's the problem," huh? -What's the problem?
-It's kinda illegal, you asshole. -Oh yeah? Is that illegal?
You know something else illegal? To publish fucking lies about people.
-That's a crime, bro. -It's called defamation.
God! Stop it! Seriously! What do I have to do?
-Problem is, man, you can't do anything. -Then stop fucking with me!
-Shut your mouth! -Hey, hey, hey!
-You should be apologizing! -Calm down!
-God! Stop it! -Just listen to her!
-We're all friends. Let's calm down. -I'm not his. I don't trust this bitch.
-I'm done with this shit. I'm outta here. -Camilo, please.
-Don't leave. -Jeez! Oh no!
-We hurt the little princess's feelings. -That's enough!
I'm done with your screwed-up idea of friendship. We're solving this today!
-It'd help if you guys… -You gonna rewrite the book?
-…slow way down on the coke. -Shut up, Pabón. No one asked you.
Eva knew that it was time to take serious action.
So, without me knowing,
she decided to resort to her secret weapon.
She took the whole group, including Luisa and Arbeláez,
to the District Film Library to see Amarcord,
Federico Fellini's masterpiece.
Now, people say it's his most autobiographical film,
and there's no denying, the man was a genius.
Okay, what's the verdict? Did you guys like it or not?
-Yeah. -You're all being really quiet.
I thought the movie was beautiful.
-Really? -I liked it a lot.
-Oh, thanks. -And Martín?
-Did you like it? -I didn't love it. It was all right.
-It was cool. -Totally.
-Right? Álvaro? -One of the best movies I've ever seen.
-Told ya. -Yeah.
Thank you.
Well, Gustavo, I won't even ask. I know you were obviously…
Man, it's a work of art. I loved it.
Well, good. Mm.
Come on.
Well, I wanted to tell you guys
that the film is the most autobiographical piece of Fellini's work.
-Hmm? -Yeah.
It's about his childhood memories from where he grew up, a town called Rimini.
And the characters he builds, which are all so amazing and rich,
they're all actually based on real folks who lived in that town with him.
Ugh. I know where this is going.
Ugh, Martín, just listen.
During the Second World War, that town was destroyed.
And that left Fellini with immense pain in his heart.
But do you know what he did to process that?
He created a poetic tribute to his old hometown.
And that's the movie, right?
That's the movie.
That means he created a film blending a few childhood events,
his memories, and his imagination.
Because Fellini didn't wanna make a documentary.
He wanted to tell a story.
That's why he began with real life and people he knew,
and exaggerated it all.
Or deformed it, if you want.
Sort of like Granados did with us, right?
That's right.
Exactly.
But he… he did it out of urgent need.
To leave the world a record.
An eternal memory of the people and places he loved,
the ones that were important to him.
Plus, that movie won an Oscar in 1974.
And guess what the citizens of Rimini did.
They honor the man who created that work of art.
Year after year, they celebrate Fellini on his birthday.
And now, to bring this home to us,
the thing Fellini did with his hometown in Amarcord, that record,
that's exactly what Camilo is doing in his novel with us.
He's showing us how much he loves us.
How important we all are in shaping who he is.
He wants our story to last forever. For people to take an interest in us.
He wants anybody who reads it to feel moved and inspired by us.
But to do that, he had to start where every artist starts.
He had to start from how things were
to get to how things might have been.
And the result is beautiful, like Fellini's film.
But you guys have been so focused on yourselves
and so obsessed with defending your own image, and so prideful,
that you've been blind to this all along.
You guys have been ignoring the fact that you inspired a beautiful story.
And instead of finding gratitude, instead of congratulating Camilo,
you just reacted like petulant children.
You've been selfish, cruel, and unfair.
-And that's called vanity. -Vanity. Mm-hmm.
That's not fair for a group of friends who supposedly love each other
as much as we claim to.
THE FIRST WOMAN
Excuse me.
-Come in. -Hey, sir. Did you need me?
Yes, Camilo. Sit down, please.
I'm almost done.
Great.
Let me ask you, Camilo.
I'm Martínez, right? Or no?
I mean, he's the newspaper editor.
He employs the protagonist as a writer in the sports section.
No. Well, yeah, it's…
No, it's not you, exactly, but you sort of inspired the… like, uh…
-I wasn't copying your entire… -Sure.
It's a pretty minor character, but well written.
So, thanks.
You know what? In general, I'm a big fan of the novel.
And I hear there's a whole lot of chatter about it.
Which is why I'm arranging an interview for you
with the head of the Cultural section.
We'll publish it in the literary periodical.
Okay. Well, thank you very much.
But, you know, I think Eva's plan for that edition
was the monograph about the Dominican poet, right?
They are totally different, Camilo.
And a good interview gets books flying off the shelves.
Yeah, but it's selling well right now without interviews.
Is it just me or are you not interested in promoting yourself as an author?
Um…
One second, please.
Hello?
What's going on?
Where did they get that information?
All right, all right. I'll make a couple of calls.
Then we'll meet and decide what to do.
-So we know the M-19's next move. -What?
They're intercepting the signal of a TV channel
so they can make a national statement.
-Hey. What's up? -It's true.
In the '80s, the M-19 had a habit
of intercepting signals from major television channels
so they could broadcast their propagandistic diatribes
to millions of viewers.
But, for me, at that moment, the emerging crisis felt like a lifeline
that was allowing me to escape an uncomfortable situation.
Because, as usual, political issues took precedence over cultural ones.
What's this?
What are you guys doing here?
Oh, come on. I don't wanna do a big therapy session.
-No. -No, Camilo.
-I'm done writing. -Just one sec, okay?
-Just let your guard down. Relax, Camilo. -Just hold on. Listen.
Yeesh.
Okay. So?
It's just…
We wanted to apologize.
For what happened with this book thing, man.
Yeah, and Eva explained to us that… that when you write literature,
you sometimes end up bending the truth a little
to make things sound more interesting.
That's what I took from it.
Look, man, what happened here is that this pair of Neanderthals realized
even they are n… n… not dumb enough…
-…to put their puny egos above great art. -No, no. That's completely wrong, man.
-All right, boys. That's enough. -I'm not insulting anyone.
The thing is we finally understood what you wanted to do with the book.
I mean, we actually feel really proud
that we served as a part of your inspiration.
What?
-Really? -Uh-huh.
Jesus fucking Christ, you guys, I'm relieved.
Oh my God. I swear I had the absolute worst day ever.
I kept thinking that I… I don't know. That I had fucked up and lost the Tribe.
-No, man. Don't be so dramatic. -It was awful. Seriously.
So what do you say?
Are we good or what?
Yeah, of course we're good, man. Come here, you dickhead.
-Come here. -Mm!
-I'm gonna give you a hug. -Whoa!
Tight like a sandwich. I'm the bread.
Calls for a group hug.
-Oh, man. -Okay, okay. That's enough for me.
Oh! I see you threw a party without me.
Mm.
-Amarcord? That's Fellini, right? -Yeah.
You didn't want me to come with?
Well, no, because I wanted to use the movie
to talk about the situation with you, okay?
That's incredible, huh?
That maestro Fellini ended up performing the miracle.
Yeah.
It's the power of film.
Watching it expands our perspectives. That's what makes us a little bit wiser.
The power of art.
That's why you're my Neruda.
You've always been my Neruda.
Thank you. Thank you for doing this.
-I did it because I love you so much. -Hmm?
Because I'll never let anything or anyone ever hurt you. Okay?
Giant steps are what you take
Walking on the moon
I hope my leg don't break
Walking on the moon
We could walk forever
Walking on the moon
We could live together
Walking on, walking on the moon
Some may say
I'm wishing my days away
No way
And if it's the price I pay
Some say
Tomorrow's another day
You stay
I may as well play
My Neruda, I didn't want to wake you
because you look so beautiful when you're asleep.
I'm going to class
and then to my appointment at the Dominican embassy.
See you tonight. I love you.
Keep it up
Then to the left.
Rise into crouch.
That's good. And now I gather.
More gathering!
I'm expressing! I'm moving!
Now spasms! And spasms!
Spasms and spasms and spasms and spasms!
Whoa.
-Hey, can we talk for a minute? -Yeah, sure.
Can we start the adaptation of the mushroom chapter now?
Uh… yeah, go ahead.
But I want you to show me first so there's no problems later on.
-Oh, come on. Who needs a censor? -You're right. Yeah, we're good.
Do whatever you want. I'll see you at the premiere. Sound good?
-I gotta take off, okay? -Morning. Where's the door, guys?
Right over there.
Is that guy with you?
I got a hunch he's a client of Vandalia's.
-No. -Mm-hmm.
We gotta take care of that.
I've been thinking about it a lot,
and if the offer for the interview with the head of the literary periodical
is still on the table,
I'd be delighted to accept, sir.
Why the change of heart?
It's… it's a long story.
One second, please.
Hello? Any update?
I'm sorry?
Are you sure?
You're absolutely sure?
Incredible. I'm sending someone now.
What happened? What's going on?
Turns out we were dead wrong about the M-19.
Aren't they intercepting a national TV signal soon?
They just ambushed and seized the headquarters of the Dominican embassy.
The embassy?
I knew what that meant. Eva had to be in the embassy.
Which meant, even as I stood there in the office,
her life was already in danger.
EVA LASTING already in danger.