Ballesta gives another outstanding performance in this lyrical feature début by Olarreaga. After leaving the institution where he’s been raised, Alex finds work in a hairdresser’s. Due to his criminal past, his colleagues are suspicious of him until Alex is finally pushed into confirming their prejudices. After leaving, through constant practice, he hones his pick-pocketing skills to profitable effect. Then one day he falls for middle-class shoplifter Sara (Valverde) and decides to take on an apprentice and partner.
Beautifully crafted, LADRONES eschews the usual gritty realism for a poetic, almost dreamlike depiction of marginalised youth.