Out in the Open

1946. In a remote and undetermined corner of Andalucía (south to Spain), a nameless child, "Kid", escapes from the house of Capataz, the cruel and abusive landholder of the zone who imposes his personal law with fear, rage and violence in the scared and illiterate population. In a country impoverished with absence of money and resources but full of hunger, hate and blood after General Franco won Spanish Civil War seven years ago, Kid crosses alone the desert of the wastelands that spread around him with a compass and a bit of water and food. In the hope to arrive to the city in order to revenge of Capataz and free his family from the man who bought him to his parents, Kid loses the compass and the water bottle while he tried to hide of a farmer who was moving his livestock. Noticing the escape, Capataz and his henchmen El Triana, El Segovia, El Portugués and El Viejo start a searching to capture alive to recover the gold pocket watch that Kid stolen to Capataz. Thirsty and hungry, Kid meets in his path with a homeless shepherd named simply Pastor ("shepherd", in deed), who travels by the wastelands with his livestock of sheep and his guardian dog to trade from a town to another. Running from him after be discovered in the steal, Kid vanishes by the extreme heat of the desert close to a ruined house, being eventually found by Pastor, who prevents his death. Making an uncomfortable deal, Pastor accepts to go Kid to the city, but El Triana and El Viejo locate they two, where Kid learns that Pastor is a veteran soldier in the Morocco War and Spanish Civil War. Looking for his own redemption, Pastor protects Kid despite El Triana tortures him and kills part of his livestock including the dog. Saving Pastor in the last moment Kid shots El Triana, who at the same time shots El Viejo by mistake, killing him. Badly injured, Pastor tries to put safe and sound Kid, while the ruthless Capataz obsesses to find Kid no matter who must die or be killed in this path.