Synopsis
Blanca splits up with Jorge in order to leave behind a past which itself had reminded her too much of the tumul- tuous confrontations between her over-protective father and her brother and soul-mate, Miguel. To make the break strong and decisive, she decides for a change of scene, traveling to Iceland where her Miguel works as a tourist guide and where he has fallen in love with the fair-haired, good-looking professional violinist, Adamsonn.
From the outset, the tension between them is palpable, since Adam loves her brother as intensely as she does. Moreover, since Miguel has to travel all over the island for work, the two of them are forced to spend time together. In turn, Adam acts as guide to Blanca, showing her his small country’s loveliest places while the two of them share confidences and secrets. Miguel is happy to see that the chemistry between them is good, and to help Blanca feel that she belongs he takes her all kinds of parties and gatherings, from open-air after-hours parties in thermal lakes to boozy dinners laced with stimulating conversation. He also makes sure that she meets Lucien, an attrac- tive Frenchman and fellow tour guide. One of these events, the Pheromone Party, turns out to be crucial for them all. Once the next day’s hangover has passed, certain feelings and hidden desires start to become apparent. Adam is jealous of Lucien, who has spent the night with Blanca; Blanca is confused about what she feels for her brother’s boyfriend: desire and destructive jealousy combine. Miguel, still not aware of what’s going on, fantasizes about reviving the past while nevertheless continuing to refuse to hear mention of their parents.
Faced with this confusion, Blanca attempts to confide in her mother, Teresa, by phone but without managing to say what she’s really feeling. Even though Teresa has always been Blanca’s most trusted confidante, intuition and past experience prevent her from being particularly understanding, and she advises Blanca to return to Spain.
Blanca knows that her mother is right, but can’t accept it. She finds herself drawn helplessly into a critical situa- tion when Adam, in a romantic Nordic gesture, takes her to see the northern lights. He opens his heart to her, confessing that he also feels something for her that he cannot explain, except that since her arrival his relationship with Miguel has returned to all its original brightness. Now he doesn’t know how to find his way out of this deep pool of desire which is impelling him to love brother and sister alike.
Blanca decides that it would be best to leave Iceland, but not before suggesting to Adam that he break up with Miguel. When Miguel gets a phone call from his mother the situation is set to become tenser still. She alerts him to rumours from his work colleagues that he is being cheated on, which are confirmed when he finds compro- mising photos of Blanca and Adamsson. The last meeting between them all, then, turns into a battle with tragic consequences. After a three-way, hands-on fight, brother and sister unite -- their own grim fighting, insults, and reproaches behind them -- and kill the object of both their desires, Adam. Blanca flees in panic and, manipulated into it by her mother, prepares a trap for Miguel which lays the guilt for Adam’s death on him.