A trip to El Puche, a forgotten neighborhood on the outskirts of the Spanish city of Almería, reveals through the watchful eye of Ian de La Rosa a remarkable friendship shared among four teenage girls. Proud of their Moroccan and Spanish roots – or rather Andalusian –, they are aware of the difficulties and limitations that society imposes on them, just because of these origins. The four girls get together to celebrate the eighteenth birthday of one of them, but despite the festive occasion, we witness a bittersweet celebration that takes place behind closed doors, hidden from the rest of the world. The girls share experiences of frustration with the inequalities that await them, but also their dreams for the future, which they fear will fall short as mere fantasies beyond their reach. Even so, this intimate portrait, which takes the form of a fictional documentary, finds room for hope, even if just for the blazing identity affirmation of the four girls, for their courage in facing the world and, above all, for the deep bonds of friendship that unite them. This is the debut of the Spanish director Ian de La Rosa in Curtas. (JA)