On 5 March 1937 the Battle of Matxitxako Cape took place, a naval confrontation between four bous, small cod-fishing boats, poorly armed, that fought tooth and nail to defend the Galdames merchant ship as it made its way to Bilbao carrying Republican refugees when it was attacked by the Canarias, the nationalists' flagship. Matxitxako tells the tale of that naval battle 85 years after it happened, taking a closer look at the Basque Auxiliary Navy (created by the Basque Government to strengthen defence in the Bay of Biscay) and at the memory of those who participated in that episode of the Civil War, seamen who fought to defend their values, lands and families.

Tristan is a 16-year-old French-Spanish boy who lives a seemingly normal life with his mother Blanca in a village in Extremadura. But his so-called every day normality is disrupted when he is trained and prepared to become a bullfighter. The film brings together scenes from Tristan’s life during his teenage years until he becomes a professional bullfighter, following his day-to-day encounters, activities, doubts, fears and education. Three times per year over the course of four years Tristan opens his life to the film crew who follows him in all sort of scenarios: the intimacy of his domestic life shared with his French mom, Blanca, who lives and accompanies him in almost everything; the lessons he takes to eventually become a bullfighter, which he shares with other teenagers and the mentors; the education system he attends to as part of the mandatory educational grades in Spain; the relation with his Dad and step Dad, who are a flamenco dancer and a bullfighter respectively; the physical trainning he has to perform to be in shape to fulfill his dream; the social events and activities he does during the bullfighting season, and all the moments of solitude and growth he experiences as any other boy of his age.