Maria's childhood, the daughter of emigrants from Bilbao, took place behind the scenes of the Paris theater Michodière, among actors, costumes, and scenery: her father Julian — a Basque with an explosive temper, a collection of weapons, and a penchant for alcohol — works here as a caretaker, and her mother Victoria — once an irresistible Galician, meeting her husband's fits of rage with submissive silence — is a cleaner. Growing up, Maria distances herself from her family, studies to become a film director, falls in love, builds a career — in general, lives her life. Until she accidentally discovers that this life is built on lies, and that Victoria and Julian have one big secret. In search of the truth, Maria returns to the Basque Country, immerses herself in the tangled corruption schemes of the post-Franco period, completely reconsiders her relationship with her parents, and decides to tell her story in an unusual way for a filmmaker — by writing a novel, in which clever editing will transport the reader from a fishing village in Galicia to the seedy areas of Bilbao; from a Jesuit shelter for the poor to the bohemian bars of Paris; from the theatrical stage, where boulevard comedies are performed, to the arena of a bloody bullfight.
Maria Larréa's debut novel, based on her family's story, has received several French and Spanish literary awards, including the Prix du Premier Roman and the Prix Roman France Televisions. A solo performance was staged based on the book with Bérénice Bejo.
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