A hilarious and promising directorial debut for actor Paco León, Carmina or Blow Up is partly a (questionable) documentary about his bar-owner mother, partly a send-up of Andalusian stereotypes. For much of the film, Carmina sits her kitchen, recounting various misadventures like the time someone stole 80 hams from her bar, or the time she was rushed to the hospital after drinking a douche solution. Yet, despite the authenticity of the particular details, a much larger truth about a remarkable and resilient woman powerfully emerges.