A humorously distorted version of the life of Shirley Temple, and described by its director as a terrorist musical. Shirley Temple sets off for the Emerald City to tell the Wizard that she is upset that Judy Garland has been selected for the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. On this trip she is accompanied by a group of characters who make reference to a fragmented, bipolar society. The film was begun as Franco was ill and completed after his death, and makes reference to the oppression of Spain during this period.
An allegory of political oppression under Franco, with a plot alternating between narrative sequences and dream-like moments styled after the Spanish avant garde. PadrĂ³s employs a range of musical forms including opera, scores, and choreography to underscore a plot featuring a group of dropouts living in a junkyard who try to re-integrate with "The System" as represented by a party.