Staring at Strangers (No mires a los ojos)

STARING AT STRANGERS

Everyone on my mark.

When you see the laugh prompt, everyone laugh together.

Same for the applause prompt, applaud together.

Understood? All cell phones on silent.

Take your seats. Places, everyone!

Everyone, find your seats.

There will be a bathroom break. For now, everyone to their seats.

All quiet.

We're about to start.

Hello. Yes, Juanjo, what is it?

Last touchups for makeup.

Sound is ready.

OK, on your word.

Good to go. We're on in 20.

If my dad could see me here, he'd die of shame.

Why's that?

He thought this was trash TV.

He liked watching Iñaki Gabilondo.

That's for sure.

I see...

Iñaki couldn't make it. You'll have to settle for me.

All right?

Five... four...

Here's your host, Sergio O'Kane!

Good evening.

Tonight, we have with us a very special guest.

Welcome, Damián. I'm glad you could join us.

Thank you very much. I'm glad to be here.

Are you prepared to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Coming to work that day, you had no idea what was in store?

No idea.

How long had you been working there?

Twenty years.

Almost half my life.

I started very young as an apprentice.

My dad was disappointed I didn't go to college

but to technical school instead.

I was always skilled with my hands, so that's what I did.

Hey, pal! Thanks.

What is consciousness?

It's powered by the mind, evolution's greatest invention...

Damián? Can I see you in my office?

- Let me finish this. - No.

Now, please.

Damián, what happened?

Damián?

What the fuck?

Damián!

Come back here!

Where are you going?

Come back here!

Damián!

Come on, man!

Damián! Come back! What the hell?

- Who's got it? - Me.

You sure? Knowing you...

Yeah, come on.

Wait, take that.

Let's tape the doors so they don't open up on us.

Can't we dismantle it for the haul?

It's too old, we couldn't put it back together.

It's heavy as shit.

It's solid wood, real wood from the old days.

Let's head out.

Wait here, I'll close the gate and be right there.

OK, let's do this.

I'll grab here.

- Be careful with it. - Of course.

You grab there.

OK, big lift on the count of three.

One, two, three...

Wait, put it on its side.

- Like this. - Got it.

On its side, hold it.

I got it.

A bit more.

It's going to break in two...

- Don't let up. - I got it.

We're clear.

This way.

- Is there a wider door? - No.

Let's go in!

Watch the corners. Follow me, it's going upstairs.

Keep it coming.

Let's take the doors off...

You can set it in front of the other closet.

- In front of this? - Yup, thanks.

OK, down, down.

There.

Thanks, can I get you anything?

- Sure, thanks. - Follow me downstairs.

- That was heavy. - Yeah, but we did it.

- Thank you. - No problem.

Take care.

Hello?

Hey!

- It came. - Great.

You want it there? Not somewhere where it won't block the other closet?

No...

We already discussed this.

It's just that it's blocking an entire closet

that we can't use now.

We have plenty of space in the house.

You don't like it.

I do, or I don't know. I just don't see the point.

Hello, anybody home?

Hi, we're up here!

Jesus!

- Like out of a movie. - Yeah.

A horror movie.

Dad...

It's just a joke...

Wasn't it a joke, María?

María? Put the phone away.

Yes, it was a joke. The wardrobe is nice.

I was only thinking maybe it's not your grandfather's,

just a wardrobe that looks like it.

No.

María, look.

See these marks?

Those are my height measurements from age five to ten.

What are these other ones?

Those are...

For my brother Jorge.

I'll start dinner.

Let's stop there, Damián,

to ask one glaring question.

What were you feeling then, hidden under the bed?

I think I was curious.

What I heard piqued my interest...

In the two of them or just her?

Yeah, more so about her.

Why?

Why take interest in any one person over another?

I don't know.

In a way, it was like...

I already knew her.

OK...

I saw my psychiatrist today.

Oh, yeah?

And?

She changed my medication.

That's good, right?

You don't care about what I'm saying.

Yes, of course I do.

Medication... what did she say?

It doesn't matter. Good night.

Good night.

- Can you go wake María? - Yeah.

María, time to wake up.

Hurry up, María.

See you later.

- María, hurry. - Coming.

Seriously? You did the dishes?

Yeah.

There was a dishwasher, but I like washing dishes.

It helps me clear my mind.

You're a bit... deep, aren't you?

I don't know, but doing the dishes calmed me down.

- Gave me peace of mind. - Peace of mind.

Yup...

Hello?

Fede?

María?

What are you thinking about?

About how her hand...

was mere inches from me...

but actually,

we were in different dimensions.

So close, yet so distant.

I almost felt like I was invisible in a way.

Invisible.

It's like God,

or call it what you want, I'm an atheist,

was there behind a thin veil the way I was behind a thin veil.

How did that strange idea come to you?

I don't know, just suddenly...

I felt like what was happening...

everything I was doing, was for a reason.

It wasn't a coincidence.

And I also felt

that we couldn't see it as we were in the same reality,

but someone in another reality, on the other side of the veil,

could see clearly where everything was leading.

Hello?

Hi.

Fede?

Did you stop by the house this morning?

No, why?

I thought we'd left the dishes dirty, but they're clean.

Must've been María.

María?

Maybe she came home.

But doing dishes?

Not a chance.

It wasn't you?

- I would remember. - I know.

But seeing as... the doctor said a side effect is memory loss...

Stroke and heart attack are also potential side effects,