The Glass Ceiling

A lonely housewife living in a small rural Madrid apartment building. With her husband frequently away, she fills her days with fantasies and observation, developing a keen but tortured sense of suspicion. Her curiosity and vulnerability push her to investigate Julia, exposing the fragility of her own sense of security.

Martha's husband, often away on business and revealed to be secretive and controlling. He engages in an affair with Julia and becomes a orchestrator of dangerous plans, including violence, as part of a web of deception surrounding the other tenants.

The upstairs neighbor whose husband is frequently away. She becomes entangled with Carlos and is implicated in the plan to murder Victor, while denying direct involvement. Her actions reveal a capacity for manipulation and rivalry in a claustrophobic family dynamic.

Julia's husband, who is away on business for much of the story. He is the target of the plotted scheme and is ultimately killed in the wider conspiracy unfolding within the building.

The young daughter of a farmer who delivers milk to the tenants. She represents a naive, hopeful perspective amid adult scheming and becomes a subtle counterpoint to the more dangerous intrigues.

Martha's close friend who visits with her young daughter Yolanda. She becomes a confidant and messenger within the complex dynamics of trust and rumor circulating the building.

The downstairs landlord, a sculptor who decorates his life with dogs and pigs and eventually is revealed as the photographer behind the voyeuristic images. His quiet insight and camera gaze make him a pivotal figure in the revelation of the truth.

Rita's young daughter who witnesses much but speaks carelessly, informing Julia of Martha's alleged lover. Her naivete contributes to the escalation of tension within the group.

A delivery man who seeks Martha's attention and may be involved in an affair with Julia. He threatens Martha when rebuffed, illustrating the growing danger and pressure within the tenants' lives.