For his 17th birthday Manuela takes her son Esteban to see his favourite actress Huma Rojo in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE but it ends tragically when he is killed running after Huma's car.
Heartbroken, Manuela returns to Barcelona where she lived with Esteban's father before he had a sex-change and became 'Lola'. She meets her trans prostitute friend Agrado who says that Lola is now very ill.
They trace Lola to a drop-in centre and Sister Rosa reveals that her befriending Lola has resulted in her pregnant and HIV-Positive. Manuela cares for her but life changes when the production of STREETCAR reaches Barcelona.
Fate sees Manuela employed as Huma's dresser but when asked to play 'Stella' at short notice, she reveals she first met Lola in an amateur production in Argentina.
Shelf or charity shop? A shelf of it's own. My favourite Pedro film; parents and children, living and death, authenticity and make-believe... these big themes are enveloped in the warm embrace of Almodóvar's film-making. Wonderful performances from Penélope Cruz, Toni Canto, Antonia San Juan, Rosa Maria Sardá and Eloy Azorin support the unforgettable performances of Cecilia Roth and Marisa Paredes as Manuela and Huma. Never has the colour red been so vibrantly photographed...
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