Julieta
Julieta lives in Madrid and is about to move to Portugal with her boyfriend Lorenzo. In a chance encounter on the street with her daughter Antía's childhood friend Beatriz, she learns that Antía, from whom she has long been estranged, is living in Switzerland and has three children. Overcome by her desire to reestablish contact with Antía, she abandons plans to leave Spain and instead leases an apartment elsewhere in the building in Madrid where she raised Antía, knowing that address is Antía's only means of contacting her.
Anticipating word from Antía, and aware that she owes her daughter an explanation of the events that led to their separation, Julieta fills a journal with an account of her life as mother, spouse, and daughter. As she begins with the story of meeting Xoan, a fisherman and Antía's father. In a flashback, Julieta recounts meeting Xoan on a train, having fled to the restaurant carriage from an older man. He tells her about his life as a fisherman, and his wife who is in a coma. The train stops sharply, having hit the older man, who committed suicide. As Julieta blames herself for his death, Xoan comforts her, and they have sex on the train. Later, at the school at which she works, Julieta receives a letter from Xoan which she takes as an invitation to visit. She learns his wife has recently died and that he is with Ava, a friend. Julieta and Xoan resume their relationship, and she informs him that she is pregnant with his child. Two years later, Julieta and Antía visit Julieta's parents. Her mother is ill and apparently suffering from Alzheimer's disease, at first not recognising her daughter. Her father is having an affair with the maid, to Julieta's chagrin.
While an older Antía is at a summer camp, Xoan and Julieta argue over his occasional dalliances with Ava, prompted by the housekeeper. Julieta storms out to walk and Xoan goes fishing. A storm rolls in and, as Julieta watches the news in panic, Xoan is killed. At camp, Antía has become inseparable with a girl named Beatriz. Julieta travels to Madrid to break the news of Xoan's death, and rents a flat there. At the age of 18, Antía embarks on a spiritual retreat and announces that she will be incommunicado for three months.
When Julieta drives to the location of the retreat in the Pyrenees three months later, she is informed that her daughter has already left, and does not want her location disclosed to her mother. Julieta is racked by the loss and her attempts to find Antía are unsuccessful. The only contact she has is a blank card on her 19th, 20th and 21st birthdays. After the latter she is enraged and destroys most traces of her daughter in her life, moving from her apartment. She visits Ava, who has multiple sclerosis and is dying. Ava tells her that Antía knew about the argument that precipitated Xoan's death and blamed Julieta and Ava, and that she had ultimately internalised guilt about this because she was away at camp at the time. At Ava's funeral, Julieta meets Lorenzo and the two embark on a happy relationship, which distracts Julieta from her loss. She tells him nothing of Antía and he respects that she has some secrets in her life.
Back in the present, Lorenzo has gone to Portugal and Julieta's mental state is deteriorating as she visits places she used to go with her daughter. Beatriz encounters her, and reveals she and Antía had a lesbian relationship. After attending the spiritual retreat, Antía told Beatriz she was ashamed of it, and cut her out of her life just as she had Julieta.
Later Julieta collapses in the street but is seen by a newly-returned Lorenzo. He visits her flat where he finds a letter from Antía, which he brings to Julieta - along with her memoir, apparently unread. Antía speaks of the death of her son, which has deeply affected her and allowed her to understand how Julieta must feel at their separation. She has also included a return address. Lorenzo and Julieta drive to Switzerland and Julieta resolves not to demand an explanation, simply wishing to be with her daughter.
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