 This story is set in a world where corruption - even in the upper echelons of society - appears to be the order of the day. This is a world in which scapegoats are sought to cover up a multitude of crimes, a world where police violence goes unpunished and the trafficking of children is nothing out of the ordinary. Antonio Santos and his lover Julie are determined to get away from this tightening web of crime and corruption - the birth of their baby only serves to increase their need for safety and justice. However, an unfortunate coincidence means that the couple suddenly find themselves trapped in the centre of a political conspiracy. All at once, the innocent Antonio and Julie are at the mercy of a network of murderous politicians and their police force cronies. Before long, they find themselves no longer merely fighting for justice but struggling to survive. Ramirez-Suarez makes no secret of the proximity of his noirish thriller to the work of Hitchcock or Costa-Gavras. Like his famous peers, he too makes use of the attractions of the genre for a piece of enlightening and compelling social analysis - in this case the portrait of a country in the throes of a state of political emergency.