The Endless Trench (2020) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Higinio hides because he voiced criticism against the Nationalist army and government. After the Spanish Civil War began in 1936, he feared he would be targeted in reprisal killings. His wife Rosa helped him find refuge beneath the floor of their home, where he would remain hidden from authorities for decades.

Foreshadowing: Early in the film, his political criticism establishes the danger he faces from the Nationalist forces.

• hiding
• spanish civil war
• nationalists
• reprisals

"Topo" literally means "mole" in Spanish. In the context of the Franco regime, it refers to individuals who went into hiding for political reasons, often those who opposed the government and feared arrest or execution. These people lived underground, often in their own homes, for years or even decades.

• topo
• mole
• hidden
• franco regime

Higinio is forced to relocate to the trench beneath the kitchen after a neighbor betrays him. This betrayal by someone he trusted exposes his initial hiding spot, forcing him to create a new, more concealed space deeper within his own home.

Foreshadowing: The neighbor's friendly demeanor early on masks his true intentions.

• betrayal
• neighbor
• kitchen
• trench

Rosa is arrested when the political situation escalates and authorities come looking for Higinio. During her detention, she refuses to disclose her husband's whereabouts, protecting him despite the pressure and dangers she faces. Her steadfast refusal highlights her devotion to Higinio.

Foreshadowing: Rosa's loyalty is established early when she helps Higinio hide.

• rosa
• arrest
• detention
• refuses to talk

The film leaves the paternity of Rosa's child ambiguous. She was pregnant when Higinio was in hiding, but she had been assaulted by a policeman prior to her pregnancy. The uncertainty about whether the child belongs to Higinio or the policeman adds to the psychological complexity of their situation.

Foreshadowing: The assault by the policeman occurs during Rosa's isolation while Higinio is hidden.

• pregnancy
• child
• paternity
• jaime

Despite the birth of his son Jaime prompting reflection on the necessity of emerging, Higinio cannot overcome his paralyzing fear and the comforts of his isolation. He has spent decades in the trench, and the outside world has become increasingly alien and terrifying to him. Even when Rosa and Jaime plead with him, the psychological toll of his confinement makes leaving feel impossible.

Foreshadowing: Rosa's encouragement early in their confinement hints at her eventual push for him to emerge.

• jaime
• son
• family
• fear
• coming out

In 1969, the Franco government announced an amnesty that lifted some of the political burdens from those who had opposed the regime during the Civil War. This amnesty provided Higinio a legal opportunity to emerge from hiding without fear of immediate persecution, making his continued concealment no longer politically necessary.

• 1969
• amnesty
• franco
• spain
• law

After decades of living in confinement beneath his home, Higinio has developed a deep psychological attachment to his hiding spot. The trench has become his safe world, and the outside has become terrifying and unknown. His isolation has created a paralyzing fear that makes the idea of emerging feel more dangerous than staying hidden, even when the political danger has passed.

Foreshadowing: The film shows his gradual withdrawal from the world through the 'Apartado' chapter.

• fear
• psychology
• isolation
• confinement
• escape

Rosa gives Higinio an ultimatum: she will leave him if he does not confront his fears and emerge from hiding. This threat of losing his wife, the person who has sustained him through decades of confinement, acts as the catalyst that finally pushes him to make the daring escape and join other "topos" who have chosen to reveal themselves.

Foreshadowing: Rosa's earlier patience and encouragement give way to desperate ultimatum in the final chapters.

• ultimatum
• rosa
• escape
• freedom
• topos

Higinio remains hidden from 1936 until approximately 1969 or later, spanning over three decades. The film covers this entire period, showing how the initial emergency hiding evolves into a decades-long existence trapped beneath his own home.

• decades
• years
• 1936
• 1969
• time

The specific motivations of the neighbor's betrayal are not detailed in the summary, but during the 'esconder' phase, a neighbor reveals Higinio's location to authorities. This betrayal forces Higinio to abandon his initial hiding spot under the floor and relocate to the more concealed trench beneath the kitchen.

• neighbor
• betrayal
• discovery
• authorities