Girl with the Golden Panties

Aging Falangist writer Luis Forest has withdrawn from public life in Sitges, devoting his days to drafting memoirs and examining his political past. He lives in a large house, mostly alone with his dog and Tesla, the housekeeper, as his only companions. The weight of guilt over his Francoist past deepens his virtual isolation.

Mariana, Luis's young and free-spirited niece, arrives with Elmyr, a quiet photographer, claiming to interview him for her magazine. The visit unsettles Luis, who fears the exposure of his personal history. They settle into the house and shake up his staid world.

Mari, Mariana's mother, phones Luis to warn him that Mariana is with Elmyr, a drug-using risk with suicidal tendencies. She also informs him that Soledad has died unexpectedly, and that the four children do not want to see him at the funeral. The news punctures his routine and foreshadows a volatile present.

In flashbacks, a younger Luis is drawn to both Mari and Soledad. He pursues Mari and, in a moment of mistaken identity, makes love to Soledad thinking she is Mari's sister. This incident ultimately leads him to marry Soledad.

The marriage to Soledad is not happy, despite her efforts to salvage it. Soledad ultimately leaves him, signaling the collapse of their partnership and the social ghosts of their past.

Mari has a one-night stand with Luis during a period of heavy drinking. Shortly after, she marries José Maria Tey, and they have Mariana. The union foreshadows the complex connections that will haunt the present.

Back in the present, Mariana offers to type the manuscript for the memoir and gradually taunts Luis about fabricating and altering events. The sessions reveal that his recollections may be distorted, pushing him to confront his own lies. A tentative bond forms as she challenges his version of history.

It is revealed that Elmyr is actually a woman, not a man, and both Mariana and Elmyr bring male lovers to the house, complicating the dynamic. The presence of multiple lovers in the isolated home amplifies the tension and exposes Luis's voyeuristic nature. The house becomes a stage for sexual and emotional games.

One night, while Mariana is away, Luis discovers Elmyr in the act with a young man and assumes she is a man, prompting him to expel her from the house. The shock of discovery reveals his continued control and jealousy. Elmyr leaves for Ibiza to stay safe.

With Elmyr gone, Mariana remains in the house and seduces her uncle, leading to them having sex. The power dynamic shifts as the barrier between family and desire collapses. The act intensifies the emotional undercurrents of their entangled histories.

Mari visits and reveals that Mariana is the daughter born from the one-night stand, shocking Luis with the incestuous realization. He is engulfed by guilt as he confronts the consequences of his past actions. The knowledge destabilizes the present, heightening the stakes of his memoir.

Overwhelmed, Luis retires to his room and attempts suicide by shooting himself, wounding his hand instead. Mari and Mariana rush to his aid, while Mariana nonchalantly asks 'So what?' about the revelation as she tends his wound. The moment encapsulates the film's tension between memory, guilt, and desire.