Stories from the Kronen 1995

Carlos, Roberto, Pedro and Manolo form a close-knit group of friends in their early twenties who spend a sun-drenched summer with plenty of time on their hands. They gather at a bar called the Kronen, where the least affluent among them works as a bartender and also fronts a rock band. Carlos is the group’s undisputed leader: handsome, selfish, amoral, and driven by a relentless pursuit of pleasure—drinking, heavy drugs, partying, and sex seem to have no limits. He rekindles a romance with Amalia, an ex-girlfriend whose current boyfriend is away, and Amalia joins the group attracted by his charm and looks.

Roberto is Carlos’ best friend and the drummer in the band where Manolo sings. He is more serious and scrupulous than Carlos, and he harbors repressed homosexual feelings toward his best friend.

Pedro is the most vulnerable member, dealing with serious health issues after losing a kidney and living with diabetes, which makes him a constant target for Carlos’s taunts.

An incident at Kronen between Pedro and a stranger escalates into a dare to see who can hang the longest from a bridge above a highway. The police intervene, and Carlos and Pedro are detained. Their father, a lawyer, Josep Maria Pou manages to secure their release.

Family ties are not a priority for Carlos. His sister, Cayetana Guillén Cuervo, reacts with despair at his lack of regard for family values, and the grandfather, André Falcon, who had mentored him, remains his last real connection before he dies.

To celebrate a birthday, Pedro invites his friends to his house for a party, but the night ends in tragedy when he dies after Carlos pressures him to drink a bottle of scotch.