All About My Father

All About My Father

Year: 2002

Runtime: 75 mins

Language: Norwegian

Documentary

Young film director Even Benestad tells the story of his own father Espen Benestad who is a transvestite and seeks his son’s acceptance.

Bittersweet
Bittersweet ending
Emotionally heavy
Medium intensity
Steady pacing
Complex story

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – All About My Father (2002)

Explore the full timeline and setting of All About My Father (2002). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Late 1990s

The events take place in late 1990s Spain, a period of modern urban life and evolving cultural attitudes. Madrid and Barcelona showcase contemporary city life with theatres, hospitals, and shelters as key settings. The era also reflects growing awareness of HIV/AIDS and the experiences of LGBTQ people, which frame the relationships and choices in the story.

Location

Madrid, Barcelona, A Coruña, Spain

The story unfolds across several Spanish cities, centering on Madrid where Manuela works and later involving hospital and urban life. She travels to Barcelona in search of Lola, reconnects with old friends, and steps into the world of theatre, addiction, and care. A Coruña appears as the destination of the heart transplant and symbolizes the cross-country bond that threads the characters together.

🏙️ Urban Spain 🎭 Theatres & Hospitals 🧭 European cities

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:38

Main Characters – All About My Father (2002)

Meet the key characters of All About My Father (2002), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Manuela

An Argentine nurse who supervises donor organ transplants and is a devoted single mother to Esteban. She demonstrates fierce determination and compassion, juggling professional duty with personal heartbreak. Her journey to Barcelona to seek Lola reveals a capacity for secrecy and courage as she builds new connections and confronts the past.

👩‍⚕️ Nurse ❤️ Mother 🧭 Seeker

Esteban

A teenage boy who dreams of becoming a writer, passionate yet troubled by his mother's choices. His life is cut short in a tragic accident while pursuing his idol for an autograph, creating a lasting ache for Manuela. His memory drives the film's emotional core and motivates the search across cities.

📝 Aspiring writer 💔 Loss 👨‍👦 Son

Huma Rojo

A celebrated actress who plays Blanche DuBois and becomes entangled with Manuela’s circle. She embodies artistic glamour and vulnerability, facing personal crises as she and Nina navigate addiction and love. Her performances reverberate with the drama of the characters' lives.

🎭 Stage star 💔 Complex love 🤝 Friend

Lola

Lola is a transgender woman who is Esteban's other mother. She confronts terminal illness with grace, expressing a lifelong wish to be a parent. Her presence expands the family circle and forces Manuela to reckon with secrets kept in the past.

🏳️‍⚧️ Trans woman 👩‍👧‍👦 Parent figure 💪 Resilience

Agrado

A warm, witty transgender sex worker who offers support and blunt honesty to Manuela. She embodies street wisdom and a fierce loyalty to her friends, providing humor and resilience in dark times. Her friendship with Manuela and Lola adds depth to the theme of chosen family.

💬 Witty friend 🏳️‍⚧️ Trans ally 🤝 Loyal

Nina Cruz

Huma’s co-star and lover, a heroin addict who experiences crises that pull the group into a cycle of care and intervention. Nina's vulnerability and eventual withdrawal help illustrate the costs of addiction and the power of solidarity among women. She plays a crucial role in the emotional arc of the cast.

🎭 Actress 🫂 Addiction 💔 Heartbreak

Rosa

A pregnant, HIV-positive nun who runs a shelter for battered sex workers. She forms a bond with Manuela as she carries a child and faces illness. Rosa’s death and Rosa’s mother’s skepticism highlight the social taboos surrounding illness and motherhood in the world the film portrays.

🙏 Caregiver 🧬 HIV-positive 🕊️ Sacrifice

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:38

Major Themes – All About My Father (2002)

Explore the central themes of All About My Father (2002), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

👪 Identity & Family

The film redefines family beyond biology, revealing that a child's sense of belonging can survive secrets and distance. Manuela's love for Esteban drives her to track Lola and reveal the two mothers who shape his life. The story suggests that motherhood can be shared and complicated, forged through acts of care rather than through conventional bonds. The found-family dynamic becomes central to the characters' resilience.

🤝 Compassion & Solidarity

Across Madrid, Barcelona, and beyond, women support one another through grief, addiction, and illness. Manuela's journeys intersect with Huma, Agrado, Nina, and Rosa, creating a network of care and mutual aid. The film emphasizes empathy, practical help, and emotional honesty as the glue holding the diverse group together. Love and friendship become a lifeline in times of crisis.

🏳️‍⚧️ Trans Identity & Chosen Family

Lola's existence as a transgender woman and Esteban's mother expands the circle of family beyond conventional expectations. The relationships among Manuela, Lola, and Agrado explore acceptance, secrecy, and the notion of chosen kin. The film treats gender identity with warmth and complexity, avoiding caricature while highlighting resilience. Lola's longing for a son adds emotional depth to the idea of motherhood.

🕊️ Mortality & Illness

AIDS and its impact on relationships sit at the core of the narrative, shaping choices and endings. Rosa's death during childbirth and Lola's illness expose the fragility of life and the cost of secrecy. The characters confront loss, hope, and care in equal measure. The film uses illness to deepen its examination of family, friendship, and the meaning of home.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:38

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Narrative Summary

The plot is driven by the revelation of a secret or a fundamental truth that a character must confront. The emotional arc involves grief, struggle, and ultimately, a form of acceptance that is hard-won and nuanced, leading to a bittersweet but meaningful conclusion.

Why These Movies?

They share a core focus on the emotional fallout of truth, a consistently bittersweet tone that balances sadness with resilience, and a narrative complexity that comes from exploring layered personal and familial histories.

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All About My Father Summary

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