GIRL WITH THE GOLDEN PANTIES

Luis Forest, an aging Falangist writer, has retired to Sitges to devote himself to reviewing his past, ruminating over his failed marriage and writing his memoirs. Suffering from a sense of guilt due to his political past, aligned with the Francoist regime, he lives in virtual isolation in a large house with only his dog and Tesla, the housekeeper, for company.

Luis's isolation is suddenly interrupted by the unexpected arrival of his niece, Mariana. Young and wildly carefree, she claims that she had visited to interview her uncle about his autobiography. Her report will appear in the magazine where Mariana works with her aunt, Soledad, Luis' estranged wife. Mariana has not seen her uncle in many years and she finds that she enjoys his company. She is accompanied by a mysterious, silent photographer, Elmyr, a foreigner male friend. The young couple shake up Luis's staid world. Mariana and Elmyr have a close relationship: they argue frequently, smoke drugs together, and it becomes evident that they are lovers. Spying on them, Luis discovers Mariana and Elmyr having sex. Elmyr paints golden panties on Mariana's naked body.

Mariana's mother, Mari, calls Luis to warn him that her daughter is with Elmyr, whom she describes as a drug addict with suicidal tendencies. She also tells Luis that Soledad has died unexpectedly. There is no need for him to worry about the funeral arrangements since Soledad has already been buried and their four children do not want to see him.

Flashbacks tell the story of Luis during his younger years. He was smitten with both Mari and Soledad. He was at first courting Mari, but one dark night, he had sex with Soledad thinking that she was her sister. The incident eventually led him to marry Soledad. Their marriage was not happy, in spite of Soledad's efforts, and she ended up leaving him. Later on, Mari had a one-night stand with Luis at a time which she was drinking excessively. However, shortly after, she married José Maria Tey, Luis's close friend, and they later had Mariana.

As she offers to type the manuscript, Mariana realizes that her uncle has fabricated and altered several facts and events in his memoir. Slowly, Mariana's taunting and teasing breaks down Luis's barriers and she becomes more interested in him. Elmyr is also revealed to be female, with both Mariana and Elmyr having male lovers whom they bring to the house. One night, while Mariana is out in the town, Luis expels Elmyr from the house after he discovers that Elmyr is a woman, finding her naked having sex with a young man. Mariana is initially very upset by her friend's departure, but calms down knowing that Elmyr is safe in Ibiza. Alone with Luis, Mariana seduces him; Luis succumbs to his niece's advances and they have sex.

Worried about what he might say about her in his memoirs, Mari visits Luis and reveals that Mariana is his daughter, conceived from their one-night-stand. Overwhelmed with guilt for his act of incest, Luis retires to his room and tries to commit suicide by shooting himself, but only manages to wound his hand. As Mariana and Mari go to help him, Luis asks Mariana if her mother told her that she is his daughter; she simply replies, "So what?" as she tends to his wound.

After succumbing to Mariana’s advances, Luis learns from Mari that Mariana is his daughter, conceived during a past affair. Overcome with guilt over the incestuous encounter, Luis retreats to his room.

The film’s ending lands as a dark reckoning for Luis, whose attempts to rewrite his past are shattered by the revelation of accidental incest. The final scenes underscore the destructive interplay of lies, repression, and the inability to escape history—personal or political. Luis’s withdrawal is both a personal collapse and a symbolic confrontation with the consequences of denial and self-delusion.