The Red Virgin

Aurora conceives Hildegart after marrying and becomes a relentless mentor, immediately beginning intensive homeschooling. She designs a refined, highly controlled home where every lesson is crafted to mold a prodigy who can change the world. The backdrop is Madrid at the dawn of the Second Spanish Republic.

Hildegart's intellect blossoms rapidly as she writes, argues, and speaks on public issues under her mother's watchful guidance. The home becomes a small academy where talent is sharpened and bound for public life.

She delivers a passionate speech at a socialist gathering advocating women's rights and political participation, drawing praise for her clarity and courage. Aurora watches with a mix of pride and caution, seeing her daughter's voice as a political instrument.

Hildegart participates in book-signing events and other public appearances, widening her influence beyond the family circle. Her rising fame brings her into contact with influential figures and diverse political currents.

Abel Vilella, a Socialist activist, recognizes Hildegart's gifts and potential, inviting her into a broader political orbit. The relationship hints at new possibilities while also challenging the mother's tightly controlled plan.

The bond between mother and daughter begins to strain as Hildegart's independence grows and Abel becomes a focal point of affection. Aurora tightens her control, peering at every shift from behind the family's protected walls.

Hildegart confesses her feelings to Macarena, and loyalties within the house start to fray as secrets multiply. The atmosphere becomes tense as Aurora's grip tightens and the two young people chart a path that seems to stray from the plan.

A piano concert invitation staged by Aurora's nephew Pepe Arriola leads to a backstage meeting that conceals a ruse, giving Hildegart time alone with Abel away from maternal surveillance. The moment raises the stakes as political conversations hint at shifts away from Aurora's expected alliances.

Abel is drawn into Aurora's social circle, and conversations reveal talk of political shifts and youth movements that worry Aurora. The family world grows more crowded with competing loyalties and dangerous ideas.

Police arrest Abel on charges framed as serial rape and feminicide, shocking Hildegart and shaking her faith in the world she has embraced. The arrest reveals the fragility of the circles she moves in.

Macarena disappears from the household and is replaced by another maid; Hildegart pressures Macarena to intervene, threatening exposure if she does not act. The atmosphere grows increasingly perilous as loyalties fracture.

With Guzmán's help, Hildegart and Abel arrange travel to London to pursue a freer life, urging Abel to accompany her on the journey. The plan signals a possible break from the life Aurora has crafted for her daughter.

A final family dinner becomes the turning point as Hildegart proclaims her independence, telling her mother she is a woman free from anyone's control. The declaration shocks Aurora and shatters the last bonds of the carefully engineered life.

Aurora fires and fatally wounds Hildegart, ending the prodigy's life. Hildegart is laid to rest in a glass casket, and a somber procession winds through the twilight streets of Madrid, sealing the grim conclusion of a mother's experiment gone tragically awry.