All About Mothers 2018
Directed by
Nicole Garcia
Made by
UGC
All About Mothers Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for All About Mothers (2018). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Manuela is an Argentine nurse who oversees donor organ transplants at Ramón y Cajal Hospital in Madrid. She is also a single mother to Esteban, a thoughtful teenager with dreams of becoming a writer. Her life unfolds with quiet resolve, balancing work, motherhood, and the ache of keeping parts of her past private.
On the night of Esteban’s 17th birthday, tragedy strikes when he is hit by a car while chasing after his favorite actress, Huma Rojo, for a autograph after a performance of A Streetcar Named Desire, where Huma embodies Blanche DuBois. In the wake of grief, Manuela makes a harrowing choice: she allows Esteban’s heart to be transplanted to a man in A Coruña. After locating the recipient, she resigns from her job and travels to Barcelona in search of Esteban’s other mother, Lola—a transgender woman whom Manuela had kept secret from her son, just as she had hidden Lola from Esteban.
In Barcelona, Manuela rekindles an old friendship with Agrado, a warm and witty transgender sex worker, and she gradually builds bonds with Huma and her co-star and former lover Nina Cruz, who struggles with heroin addiction. She also meets Rosa, a HIV-positive nun who works in a shelter for battered sex workers and is pregnant with Lola’s child. Manuela’s life becomes woven into the circle around these women as she takes on roles beyond nurse and mother: caring for Rosa during her pregnancy, serving as Huma’s personal assistant, and stepping in as an understudy for Nina during one of her drug-fueled crises.
The journey brings Manuela to a park where Rosa asks the taxi to stop. There, Rosa spots her father’s dog Sapic and encounters her father himself, who suffers from Alzheimer’s and barely recognizes his daughter, yet Sapic clearly recognizes Rosa. Rosa dies in childbirth, delivering a healthy boy, and at her funeral Manuela finally reunites with Lola. Lola, who was once Esteban’s other parent, is dying from AIDS and speaks of her long-held wish to have a son. Manuela recounts the existence of Esteban, sharing a photo to help Lola understand the life they built.
Faced with the fragile moment, Manuela chooses to bring Rosa’s child into Lola’s world by adopting Rosa’s son, Esteban, and caring for him at Rosa’s parents’ home. The father remains bewildered, and Rosa’s mother arrives with a sharp disapproval, insisting that Lola not be allowed near the child. Manuela explains Lola’s true connection to Esteban, but Rosa’s mother, fearing transmission and blame, rejects the arrangement. The family tension underscores the persistence of secrecy and the courage required to redefine family boundaries.
With heavy heart but a steadfast spirit, Manuela leaves Rosa’s household and returns to Madrid with Esteban, writing a letter to Huma and Agrado to apologize for not saying goodbye in the manner she once anticipated. Two years pass, and Manuela reappears in Barcelona with Esteban, who has grown healthy and AIDS-free. At an AIDS convention, she reconnects with Huma and Agrado, who now run a stage show together, and shares that she plans to stay with Esteban’s grandparents. In a final note about Nina, Agrado reveals that Nina left Huma, returned to her hometown, married, and is now a mother herself—an echo of the lives these women have built beyond the shadows of their past.
All About Mothers Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of All About Mothers (2018) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Manuela's life as a nurse and mother
Manuela is an Argentine nurse who supervises donor organ transplants at Ramón y Cajal Hospital in Madrid. She is also a single mother to Esteban, a teenager who hopes to become a writer. The setup establishes her career and the close bond with her son.
Esteban's death on his birthday
On Esteban's 17th birthday, he is hit by a car after chasing Huma Rojo for her autograph following a performance of A Streetcar Named Desire. The tragedy shatters Manuela's life and reveals the fragility of her world. Huma's presence looms large as a catalyst for the ensuing events.
Heart transplant
Manuela agrees to donate Esteban's heart so another person can live, and the heart is transplanted to a recipient in A Coruña. The act is painful but framed as a gift that binds the living and the dead. She begins to feel the consequences of losing her son anew as she confronts the transplant's impact.
Manuela tracks the recipient
After the transplant, Manuela travels to find and identify the heart recipient in person. The search pulls her across cities and deepens her sense of loss and responsibility toward Esteban. The act ties her to strangers and the consequences of organ donation.
Resignation and journey to Barcelona
Grieving and determined, Manuela resigns from her job and travels to Barcelona in search of Esteban's other mother, Lola, a transgender woman whom she had kept secret from her son. The move marks a shift from professional duty to personal revelation. Her decisions redefine her identity and purpose.
Reunion with Agrado and meeting Lola
In Barcelona, Manuela reunites with Agrado, a warm transgender sex worker, and meets Lola, Esteban's other mother. The meetings introduce a complex web of relationships and loyalties as Manuela seeks answers about Esteban's past. The dynamics explore love, secrecy, and motherhood from multiple angles.
Rosa, Nina, Huma and the pregnant nun
Manuela befriends Huma Rojo, Nina Cruz, and Rosa, an HIV-positive nun who works with battered sex workers and is pregnant with Lola's child. Manuela begins caring for Rosa during her pregnancy and also takes on roles as Huma's personal assistant and as Nina's understudy during crises. The circle of women broadens Manuela's world and responsibilities.
Park encounter for Rosa
On the way to the hospital, Rosa asks a taxi to stop at a park where Sapic, her father's dog, is found and her own father, who has Alzheimer's, appears. Sapic recognizes Rosa, while her father does not. The moment underscores memory, illness, and the fragile ties of family.
Rosa dies and Lola's AIDS confession
Rosa dies giving birth to a healthy boy, and at her funeral Manuela reunites with Lola. Lola, who is dying from AIDS, speaks about always wanting a son, and Manuela reveals Esteban's existence and his fatal accident. The revelation intensifies the sense of shared loss among the characters.
Manuela adopts Rosa's son
Manuela adopts Rosa's son, Esteban, and cares for him at Rosa's parents' house. The father does not understand who Manuela is, and Rosa's mother introduces her as the new cook living there with her grandson. The adoption anchors Esteban's life in a new family.
Revealing Esteban and Lola's past
Manuela tells Lola about their own son Esteban and his fatal accident, sharing the story that has haunted her since the tragedy. The disclosure deepens Lola's understanding of the past and the possibilities of kinship across different lives.
Return to Madrid with Esteban
Deciding she cannot stay at Rosa's house any longer, Manuela flees back to Madrid with Esteban and writes a letter to Huma and Agrado, apologizing for not saying goodbye earlier. The move marks a return to the city where Esteban's life and death began, but with new responsibilities.
Two years later: Barcelona reunion at an AIDS convention
Two years later, Manuela returns to Barcelona with Esteban, who remains healthy and AIDS-free. At an AIDS convention, she meets Huma and Agrado again and tells them she will stay with Esteban's grandparents. The reunion ties together the threads of the past and present.
Nina's life after Huma
Agrado reveals that Nina broke up with Huma, returned to her hometown, got married, and now has a son of her own. The update shows how the lives of the performers intersect with friendship and motherhood across time.
All About Mothers Characters
Explore all characters from All About Mothers (2018). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Manuela
An Argentine nurse who oversees donor transplants at a Madrid hospital and a devoted single mother to Esteban. Her love drives her to cross borders and secrets to protect him, and her journey pulls her into Lola, Rosa, Huma, and Agrado's circle. She navigates a web of friendships and sacrifices that redefine what family can be. Her resilience and compassion anchor the film's emotional core.
Esteban
Manuela's teenage son who dreams of becoming a writer. He is tragically killed in a car accident on his 17th birthday while chasing an autograph from Huma Rojo. His death acts as a catalyst for the transplant and the subsequent creation of a broader family. The storyline later continues through the memory of Esteban as Manuela adopts Rosa's son bearing his name.
Lola
A transgender woman and Esteban's other mother who is dying of AIDS and has always longed for a son. She reunites with Manuela and becomes a central figure in the extended family she forms with Huma, Agrado, and Rosa. Her relationship with Manuela and Esteban unfolds as a profound thread about love, loss, and chosen family.
Huma Rojo
A famous actress who performs Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire. She forms a friendship and romantic bond with Nina, and she becomes a supportive figure for Manuela within the theatre world. Her presence links the film's artifice with intimate, vulnerable human moments.
Agrado
A warm, witty transgender sex worker and longtime friend who provides humor, candor, and steadfast support. She serves as a touchstone within the chosen family Manuela builds, helping to bridge worlds of work, love, and identity.
Nina Cruz
Huma's co-star and lover, a heroin addict whose crisis destabilizes personal relationships but also reveals the depth of loyalty within the circle. Her struggles illuminate the consequences of addiction within a community of artists and friends.
Rosa
A HIV-positive nun who works in a shelter for battered sex workers and is pregnant with Lola's child. She dies giving birth, catalyzing Manuela's return to Lola and the eventual shaping of a new family. Her presence marks a turning point in the film's exploration of life, faith, and motherhood.
All About Mothers Settings
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Time period
late 1990s
Events unfold in the late 1990s, a period of social change in Spain where conversations about gender, sexuality, and AIDS-era illnesses were becoming more visible. The era's backdrop influences how characters conceal or reveal their identities and navigate relationships. Medical advances, like organ transplants, intersect with personal stories of love, loss, and resilience.
Location
Madrid, Barcelona, A Coruña
Set across Madrid, Barcelona, and A Coruña, the story moves from a major Madrid hospital to intimate Barcelona streets and backstreets. The cityscape doubles as a medical stage and a place of secret meetings, emotional reunions, and search for family. Each location anchors a different thread of Manuela's journey—from the hospital's transplant procedures to Lola's theatre world and Rosa's shelter.
All About Mothers Themes
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Motherhood
Manuela's fierce love for Esteban drives every choice she makes. The film expands the idea of motherhood beyond biology, showing a mother who protects, sacrifices, and fights for her children's future. Lola's longing to be a mother and the eventual adoption of Rosa's son emphasize that family is built through care, not just blood. The narrative threads multiple maternal bonds—biological, adoptive, and chosen—into one interwoven story.
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Identity
Lola's transgender identity and her relationship with Manuela, Huma, and Agrado challenge conventional family structures. The characters form a chosen family that supports each other through secrecy, stigma, and illness. The film treats gender and sexuality with empathy and complexity, avoiding simple tragedy and instead offering resilience. The theatre world also mirrors these themes, as performance becomes a space for self-expression.
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Illness
AIDS and HIV shape the emotional landscape of the story: Rosa's pregnancy, Lola's illness, and the death that follows influence every decision. Medical events—transplants, pregnancy, and care for the vulnerable—highlight the fragility of life and the power of care. The film uses illness to catalyze the creation of family beyond blood ties.
All About Mothers Spoiler-Free Summary
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In the bustling heart of Madrid, a dedicated nurse works the quiet corridors of a major transplant unit, navigating the steady rhythm of life‑saving procedures while shouldering the demands of single‑parenthood. Manuela balances the precision of her profession with the tender unpredictability of raising her thoughtful teenage son, Esteban, whose own dreams drift toward the page. Their modest apartment echoes with the ordinary concerns of a mother and son, yet beneath the surface lies a concealed chapter of the past that colors every decision she makes.
A chance to confront that hidden history beckons her to the vibrant streets of Barcelona, where a close‑knit community of women gathers around art, performance, and survival. Here she reconnects with an old friend, the charismatic and witty Agrado, whose presence offers both comfort and candid honesty. Among the city’s eclectic circles, she encounters the luminous actress Huma, whose on‑stage intensity mirrors the inner struggles of the women around her, as well as Nina, a former lover wrestling with her own demons. A compassionate nun, Rosa, adds another layer of resilience, caring for those society often overlooks while carrying her own secret hopes.
The film unfolds as a lyrical meditation on the many faces of motherhood—possessive, fragile, fierce, and nurturing—set against a backdrop that blends the clinical precision of a hospital with the bohemian pulse of a city that never ceases to reinvent itself. Its tone is intimate yet expansive, inviting viewers to linger on quiet moments of connection while feeling the undercurrent of unspoken truths. As Manuela steps beyond the roles of nurse and mother, she is drawn into a tapestry of relationships that challenge conventional definitions of family, offering a poignant look at how love, identity, and sacrifice intertwine in the lives of women who refuse to be confined by a single story.
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