It’s the summer of her 15th year, but for pretty and athletic Lis (newcomer Carmen Arrufat in a breakout performance), life in her small, postcard-perfect Spanish coastal town is anything but idyllic. Jaded by the provincial worldview of her small-time drug dealer boyfriend and less-than-supportive parents, the doe-eyed teen harbors dreams of attending the Barcelona Circus Academy to become an acrobat, but finds herself suffocated by what her gossipy neighbors and mean-girl peers might say. With the gentle support of fellow free spirit Remedios (Sonia Almarcha), Lis’s life takes a stark and unexpected turn that could shut the door on her dreams and keep her trapped in her small-minded backwater forever in this raw, tender and achingly real debut feature from Lucía Alemany.

In competition for the Ibero-American Award

Director Lucía Alemany is expected to be in attendance on January 4 and 5.