Colloquially-told story of a few days in the life of Marieta, who's saving money for the last operation in her change from man to woman. She works as a prostitute in Madrid and longs for a legitimate job. Whenever she builds up her savings, her housemate and best friend Tomás finds ways to spend, lose, or cost her those funds. She meets Raúl, whom she likes and who likes her; the trouble is he also likes that part of her she wants removed. If that's not enough, she also has narcolepsy, and when she conks out, she dreams of musical-theater numbers in which she's the singing and dancing star. Are these dreams always going to be 20 centimeters out of reach?
Acting
Mónica Cervera's fearless, vulnerable star turn.
Direction
Salazar balances gritty realism with surreal musical fantasy.
Costume
Marieta's transformation through color and silhouette.
Director
Ramón Salazar
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released when Spanish cinema rarely centered trans stories; Mónica Cervera, a cis actress, sparked debates about representation that continue today.
The title's double meaning—both the surgical goal and the distance between dream and reality—was reportedly added late in production after Cervera improvised the line.
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