The Miracle of P. Tinto

The film opens with a prologue titled La llave, imitating an Eastern European black-and-white short. It establishes a playful, fable-like tone for the story that follows. The narrative then shifts into a retrospective narration.

P. Tinto becomes obsessed with building a big family and convinces Olivia, a blind woman, to join his life project. This sets the central dynamic of the film and fuels his schemes. Their partnership becomes the starting point for the strange events to come.

Despite his best intentions, P. Tinto and Olivia fail to have children because they struggle to understand adult innuendo. They chase a childish, repetitive routine—pulling suspenders and singing 'tralari, tralari'—in a humorous, futile effort. The couple spends years in this unresolved longing.

The couple prays for a miracle, and that very night, a pair of Martians is stranded at their doorstep. Surprised but hopeful, P. Tinto decides to take them in, treating them as children despite their adult behavior. The domestic life suddenly includes extraterrestrial guests.

P. Tinto, convinced the Martians are kids because of their size, adopts them and raises them as part of the family. The Martians protest, but the couple persists in their plan. The household dynamic shifts as the newcomers settle in.

A video reel about a large, government-favored family prompts P. Tinto to consider adopting an African orphan. The adoption form somehow flies into the hands of Pancho Jose, a man who has escaped from a Polish madhouse and carries a big butane cylinder. Meanwhile, Usillos, a nationalist contractor, has his car break down in front of the house, setting up future complications.

Pancho Jose is mistaken for the African orphan and is adopted by the couple. At the same time, Usillos is contracted by P. Tinto to rebuild the library into a new room for Pancho, and he discovers a UFO hidden in the house. The discovery hints at a time-travel device within reach.

Pancho Jose forms a bond with the Martians after learning the UFO is a time machine. He decides to help repair it so he can travel back in time to save his mother from a catastrophic accident involving a large box of cheese, hoping to alter his life’s harsh arc. The stakes become personal as timelines bend.

P. Tinto learns that his contract with the Vatican is in jeopardy and tries to lure Pancho into a new business venture. As Pancho pitches a pizza product, P. Tinto grows angry and locks his son in the attic, where he learns the UFO was broken during a test run in a strange accident.

The town priest aggressively lures the kids to the church, enlisting one Martian, Jose Ramon, to join the priesthood. Ramon embraces faith and decides to become a priest, giving up the idea of returning to Mars. The church’s influence reshapes the Martians' fate.

Olivia, who has long complained of a pain in her lower stomach, is seduced by Pancho Jose. The next morning she dances with happiness, but is tragically run over by a train. The event marks a devastating turning point in the story.

Pancho Jose rebuilds the time machine using Usillos’ truck and prepares to depart. He says goodbye to P. Tinto and leaves with the other Martian, bringing along a midget friend from the madhouse who is also a Martian. They head back in time to alter the past.

NASA investigators arrive and take Usillos away. They find him dressed with UFO gadgets and his thumb dramatically swollen, revealing his obsessive fixation. The government’s presence underscores the extraordinary happenings around the house.

The travelers complete the machine and say goodbye to P. Tinto. They return to the past to save Pancho's mother and reunite her with his past self, triggering a cascade of changes in the timeline. Olivia’s death is undone, and an African orphan arrives at the house, waiting for a miracle.

In a mid-credits scene, a stranded Martian is found on the road and is again mistaken for a kid, adopted by a big family along with another African orphan. The final image shows Olivia running happily in the meadows.