Veronica (Verónica)

- Police. What's your emergency? - Help! Help, please!

MADRID 15th JUNE 1991

1:35 A.M.

- Please help! - Quiet down so I can understand. What's happening?

Please, you have to come, please. He's inside!

I need you to quiet down and describe for me what you see.

Did someone break into your home?

Hello?

Unit 27, please respond immediately at the scene.

Detective! It's in that building there. Third floor, door C.

Command center, report. We are on our way.

- He's here! - Vero!

Vero! Vero! Vero!

Mom! Mom!

What's happened?

- Detective! - We are sending a police car.

- I need you to give me your address. - Calle Gerardo Núñez, 8.

Are you still there?

Hello?

Attention all units, we got a 4-0-2 on Calle Gerardo Núñez, 8.

I need all police patrol cars that are available in the area.

Repeat: Calle Gerardo Núñez, 8.

IN THE EARLY MORNING OF JUNE 15th 1991, A CALL FOR HELP

WAS RECEIVED AT THE POLICE STATION NUMBER 02-12 IN MADRID.

This story is based on the police report written by the detective in charge.

Confirmed. They're four children. There are two still remaining upstairs.

Three days earlier.

Three days earlier. Thursday

Three days earlier. THURSDAY, JUNE 12th 1991

- Irene. - Hmm?

You go to the bathroom first.

Lucía, come on. Get up now.

Don't make too much noise.

Come on, boy. Up you go.

Come on. We are going to school.

I feel like going to school.

Do you want to go to school? Very good.

- Did you wet your bed again? - Yes.

Come.

Go to the bathroom so Irene can get you all cleaned up.

- Vero! - What's wrong?

Irene won't let me in!

I'm taking a shower!

Don't yell! The boy has wet his bed again.

- Help him wash himself. You're the biggest one. - OK.

I heard that. I am the biggest one. I came out first.

- Did you warm up the milk? - No.

And you're the biggest one?

Lucía! Be careful, please!

The teacher said to bring in some photographs to see the eclipse.

- Photographs? - Yes.

Your turn. Not pictures. We need to bring in some negatives

to put them before our eyes.

Yuck! The towel smells like wet chicken! You smell like wet chicken.

Stop it! Vero!

Lucía, leave Irene alone. Get a towel from the clothes line outside.

- OK. - Your laces are loose.

And you could have told me about the photographs last night!

- I forgot. - I'll do it. I'll do it.

OK, OK. You do it.

- Which towel did you use? - The pink one. Get this one.

The pink one is mine!

Is everything OK?

Yes.

Last night I had to close the bar at two in the morning due to a birthday party.

I am knackered.

I am just looking for a photograph for a project at school.

You just take some rest.

I'm going to stay in bed a bit longer.

I'll see you later.

- What's up? - Tomorrow I won't wet my bed.

- What's that? - Tomorrow I won't wet my bed.

Good. Come on, get inside.

How are things? How was this past week?

- Good? Did you have a good time? - Yes.

As you know, the Earth is rotating continuously on its own axis.

And at the same time, it's rotating around the Sun.

Whilst the Moon, which is a satellite,

is rotation around the Earth.

So, when the Moon stands in the way between the Sun,

and the Earth, it causes the astronomical phenomenon that we call solar eclipse.

And the shadow of the Moon casts on the Earth's surface.

It's an interesting phenomenon because it's subjective.

That is, it depends on the individual who's watching it.

What we are going to see today in Madrid, is not the same

as what they will be seeing in Barcelona or Paris.

Next slide, please.

In an eclipse, we can clearly differentiate two areas.

The area of shadow, or umbra and the area of penumbra.

The area of umbra is that one which lacks light, in complete darkness.

HAVE YOU GOT IT?

The area of penumbra is what we call a weak shadow.

All along our history periods, eclipses have been explained,

with diversity and from a superstitious point of view.

Next slide, please.

In primitive cultures, they believed that what happened in the sky,

was a reflection of what was happening on Earth.

That's why they also believed that during an eclipse,

darkness reigned above the light.

So, in many cultures,

they believed that an eclipse was a good time

to make all sorts of sacrifices.

Next slide, please.

Even human sacrifices.

In fact, they will teach you about it in History class.

The Mayas believed that human blood was...

OK, it's time. We have to go up and see the eclipse but when we are back,

I will teach you about the different types of eclipses.

Sara, help me with the window, please.

Whoever doesn't have a negative, they can get one from this box.

- All right? - Yes!

And remember not to look at the Sun directly.

Always look through the negative.

- Have you got one? - Yes.

- Wait, wait for a moment. - No, come on.

- Just a moment. - Girls, upstairs now.

- Rosa, turn off the slide projector, please. - OK.

Wait.

What's wrong?

We have to wait for Diana.

The one who repeated her grade?

Yeah, I told her what we were going to do

and she wanted to join us.

But Rosa, girl, this was supposed to be just one thing between us.

Well, now it's a thing between us and Diana.

What difference does it make? She's really nice.

Plus... do you remember Manolo?

With the spiky hair?

The one who killed himself on a motorbike.

- He was her boyfriend. - But why did you tell her?

Look, I'm sorry, it slipped my tongue.

But everybody knows it works better with odd numbers.

Everybody is on the roof.

The coast is clear.

Begoña! What is this? Not with this!

What a manky place.

Don't wander off. Come this way.

Hey, wait for me!

Here.

Yuck, this is manky!

Hey, have you, girls, done this before?

Well, I have... back in my hometown. You said you also have, didn't you?

Yes, but only with cut-out pieces of paper. You know?

Never with an actual board.

They say you can ask anything and they tell you the truth.

Well, I understand that just because they're dead,

that doesn't mean they know everything, right?

- What did you bring? - A picture.

What's that?

You need a personal item of the person you wish to make contact with.

A picture is not a personal item.

How come? A picture is a personal item if it's the person who's on the picture.

I haven't brought anything from Manolo with me.

Are you watching it? The Moon is starting to move in.

Can you see the ring? Can you see the ring?

I cannot believe it!

Always look through the negative!

It's lovely.

It says you need to place your index finger on the glass.

Close your eyes.

Why?

That way you can make contact faster.

Is there anybody here with us?

Is there anybody here with us?

I wasn't me. I swear.

Who are you?

Do you you wish to speak to any of us?

Are you - Are you Verónica's Dad?

Do you want to speak to Verónica?

S.

P.

Y.

SPY... I spy ¿I spy?

¿With my little eye?

- Damn, are you stupid? - You are stupid!

I know damn well you are moving it.

Vero, did you move it?

Who are you?

It's hot!

Vero.

Vero! Vero! What's wrong?

Vero! Vero! What's wrong? What's happening?

Vero, Vero, are you all right? What's wrong?

Leave it!

Get the flashlight, Diana! The flashlight!

- Where is it? - Over there!

- Rosa, I can't see! - Fuck!

It's here! I got it, I got it, I got it!

Shit!

The board is broken.

Where's Verónica?

Verónica?

Verónica!

- Diana! Go get help. Go now! - We are in trouble.

- Come on! Go now! - Fuck, stop it!

Verónica.

Verónica? What's wrong with you?

What are you saying?

Verónica.

Can you hear me?