Straight from its world premiere at the San Sebastian Film Festival, where it picked up the Best Actor prize, this is an exceptionally moving and superbly directed film about a belatedly “out” homosexual trying to make up for lost time. But when he is sent to a nursing home after suffering a stroke, 76-year-old Vicente reverts to his previous closeted identity, a state that seems here akin to a living death. Gradually though, under an unlikely influence, Vicente regains his spark…
Maspalomas is the seventh feature-length production from a triumvirate of writer-directors based in the Basque resort of San Sebastian, operating under the collective moniker ’Moriarti’ (also the name of their production-company), responsible for such acclaimed fare as The Endless Trench and Marco. The trio — Aitor Arregi, Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga — switch duties from project to project; this is the first to be attributed to co-directors Arregi and Goenaga since 2007.
A well crafted crowdpleaser built around an empathetic and involving performance by José Ramón Soroiz, who is present in every scene..
Neil Young, Sight & Sound
One of those stories that moves even the coldest hearts, but also knows how to evoke smiles.
Andrea Zamora, Sensacine
Aitor Arregi & Jose Mari Goenaga
José Ramón Soroiz, Nagore Aranburu, Kandido Uranga, Zorion Eguileor, Kepa Errasti
Spain
2025
In Spanish with English subtitles
Best Actor, San Sebastian Film Festival
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Credits
Producer
Ander Barinaga-Rementeria, Xabier Berzosaander Sagardoy, Fernando Larrondo
Screenwriter
Jose Mari Goenaga
Cinematography
Javi Agirre Erauso
Editor
Maialen Sarasua Oliden
Original Music
Aránzazu Calleja
Art Director
Mikel Serrano
Also in This Series
This year’s New Spanish Cinema is packed with an exceptionally strong line-up — award-winning cinema, an Opening Gala featuring tapas and wine, and a flamenco-inspired VIFF Live.
The Blue Star
In crisis, a popular singer quits Spain to backpack in Argentina. There he comes under the spell of a veteran musician, who teaches him the art of chacareras, zambas and vidalas. It's a journey of musical kinship and spiritual reawakening.
Forastera
In this mysterious and subtle coming of age drama, teenager Cata is soaking up the sun, smoking furtive cigarettes, and enjoying a summer break with her grandparents and her younger sis in Mallorca. That is, until Cata's beloved abuela collapses...
Afternoons of Solitude
Pacification director Albert Serra turns his unflinching gaze on the subject of bullfighting, and in particular the famous young matador Andrés Roca Rey. The film challenges us to look its subject square in the eye and draw our own conclusions.
The Executioner
Regularly cited as the greatest Spanish film ever made, Berlanga's masterpiece is a pitch black comedy about an undertaker lined up by the state executioner to marry his beautiful daughter -- but he'll also have to inherit the old man's job.
The Flamenco Guitar of Yerai Cortés + Por Derecho (On Their Own Right) Live
Winner of the Goya Award for Best Documentary, this is an exquisite and surprisingly intimate portrait of the brilliant young guitarist Yerai Cortés, preceded by an hour of passionate flamenco music, song and dance performed by Por Derecho.
Saturn Return
This fascinating, highly acclaimed movie is a thinly disguised history of 90s indie rockers Los Planetas, a Granada grunge outfit who cited the Velvet Underground as inspiration. It's one of the best rock movies in years.
8
The always stylish, idiosyncratic Basque auteur Julio Medem is back with one of his most ambitious films (and our closing night gala), a sweeping historical romance in eight chapters, spanning eight decades in Spanish history from the 1930s to the present day.