Estela, a young woman from rural Chile, leaves her home and takes up work as a live-in domestic worker in a wealthy family’s home in Santiago. She becomes the caretaker for their six-year-old daughter, Julia. Over time, Estela and Julia form a deep, intense bond — what begins as caretaker-child becomes a secret, emotionally dependent world. In the household’s emotionally distant environment, Estela becomes not just a nanny but Julia’s emotional anchor — often more present, loving, and attentive than Julia’s own parents. Their closeness blurs the boundaries between servant and surrogate parent, revealing the harsh inequalities and silent tensions rooted in class and domestic labor. But as summer fades, the divide between their worlds grows more glaring. When Estela’s mother — living far away — gets seriously injured, Estela requests leave to be by her side. The family refuses, demanding Julia’s constant care. This rejection crystallizes Estela’s painful realization: that for her employers she is replaceable, not equal.
