Madrid is the setting of this lively comedy-drama, partly inspired by real life secrets and confessions. Set mainly in a busy jazz bar, Confesiones Chin Chin is a procession of conversations between friends all manner of subjects that are perhaps delicate to dive into without a drink in your hand and a close friend by your side.

What strikes you very early on in the film is its energy and authenticity. There is a tendency for stories that try to capture the unguarded nature of conversation to end up being rather showy, as actors try to approximate being relaxed. Here, however, both the cast and the crew create the feeling of being in the middle of a busy bar, moving in between conversations that are often context-free, but always fascinating. It moves along nicely during the spritely 71-minute running time, fuelled by a jazz soundtrack that seems to echo the freeform nature of the conversation.

While the plot is fuzzier than most, the impetus to keep watching is always there. Conversations about love, ambition, sex, and trauma all ring true thanks to a delivery that demands honesty. At one point, a famous artist’s mission statement is cut short by the filmmaker capturing him, who chastises him for “acting” rather than being himself. It’s almost a mission statement of its own, as the camera pierces through self-awareness and pomposity, getting to something that feels real.

While not explicitly a film about queerness, the complexity of human sexuality is explored with a great deal of understanding and compassion. Space is given to stories such as Sofia (Ángela Aguilar), who escapes the unfulfillment of her marriage through an affair with another woman. We also look at the consequences of such authenticity, through characters who face rejection from their families because of who they are. Again, director, building empathy for all involved. Carolina Perelman watches with curiosity, not judgement, building empathy for all involved.

Perhaps it’s because the audience meets them earliest in the film but the duo of Lolo (Fernando Bodega) an exasperated actor, and bartender Vicente (Enrique Gimeno) stick out among the ensemble. Their back-and-forth conversations, arguments, and mentoring display the kind of fraught affection that only good friends possess.

Feeling like the film version of attending an exciting part, Confesiones Chin Chin celebrates bearing your soul in a manner that never feels forced or theatrical. Bringing an original style that doesn’t feel like embellishment, it will leave you thinking about those conversations in bars that left you feeling lighter.

Confesiones Chin Chin premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival.