The smoking fish

Original title:   El pez que fuma

Directed by	Román Chalbaud
Produced by	Román Chalbaud
Written by	Román Chalbaud José Ignacio Cabrujas
Starring	Miguel Angel Landa Orlando Urdaneta Hilda Vera Hayde Balza
Release date(s)	1977
Running time	115 minutes
Country	Venezuela
Language	Spanish

La Garza is the name of the owner of the business, and, although she is the one who is really in control of the brothel and its workers, she allows her lovers to believe that they in some way are running things, including herself by giving them control over the administration of the Pez que Fuma ( the smoking Fish ) t,he money and anything else they want.

Three men are competing for the love of La Garza, and thereby, control of the Pez que Fuma: first Tobias, who is supplanted by Dimas, the second, who in turn is pushed out by Jairo, the third. They all follow more or less the same methods to get what they want (except Tobias, being the first). First, they arrive at the brothel as nobodies – no money, looking for work and help. La Garza and her man of the moment give them a job, and once inside the business, they win their confidence.

But La Garza’s last affair, with Jairo, marks a profound change in the story, as Dimas, the previous lover, doesn’t accept the loss of everything. Managing to get out of jail, he tries to kill Jairo, but instead kills La Garza, that sends him back to prison for good. Jairo remains in absolute control of the brothel, with one of the young prostitutes, Selva Maria, who takes La Garza’s place. And so, with the death of the old owner and the imprisonment of Dimas, the new, young heirs to power take possession