Manuel Navarro
Samuel, Joaquín and Marcos, are three old friends living their lives in downtown Bogotá. They spend their days between Lasker – the legendary chess club, The Caribbean Casino, and La Normanda – a traditional coffee shop. Samuel, 53, is a professional chess player that lives of betting on small matches he knows he will win. His best friend is Joaquín, 65, an accomplished watch-maker who’s about to loose the workshop he inherited from his father. And then there’s Marcos, 72, a Spanish homeopath devoted to finding a formula to win poker matches. These three men have found shelter in the safety of their routines, avoiding to facing up to their failures. But a time comes when they are confronted by reality and causes them to stagger.
At 24, Paula wants to be an actress, but if she doesn't find her rent money she'll be homeless in 24 hours. Paula is so desperate that she seriously contemplates becoming a prostitute.
At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, the nun Maria is forced to flee her convent. She takes refuge in a brothel, until it is liberated by a woman's anarchist group. Maria joins the group and eventually goes to the front. The women's group faces the problems of fighting not only the nationalists, but also factions on the left seeking to impose a more traditional military structure. Written by Brian Rawnsley
