Maspalomas | Europa! Europa Film Festival

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https://www.europafilmfestival.com.au/films/maspalomas

Date Reviewed: 08/02/2026

I didn’t expect to like Maspalomas. Its opening is raw, almost pornographic, and I bristled. More voyeuristic than cinematic, it dares you to look away. But then it softens, leans into tenderness, and before you know it, it’s got you right where it wants: that heart-wrenching, fuzzy spot.

Like the film, Vicente isn’t instantly likeable. At 76, he’s prickly, defensive, and sometimes selfish. Jose Ramon Soroiz delivers a powerhouse performance that earned him the Silver Shell at San Sebastian. A seasoned actor known for his subtlety and emotional depth, Soroiz brings an authenticity to Vicente that makes his vulnerabilities and contradictions palpably real.

The shift from the sun-drenched, hedonistic man in the opening scenes to the frail, inward figure we meet later is both startling and devastating.

After a stroke, Vicente is whisked from the queer paradise of Maspalomas to a nursing home in San Sebastián, placed there by his daughter, Nerea. Their relationship is strained and distant, marked by years of absence and unspoken regrets, which only deepens Vicente’s isolation. Here, the film’s emotional core unfolds. Vicente, who came out at 50 and fought for his freedom, quietly slips back into the closet, not forced, but worn down by institutional life.

“You get used to everything,” someone warns. It stings.

The nursing home is a parade of characters: the conservative, chatty Xanti; the quietly observant residents; the slow rhythms of routine and resignation. Vicente tries to fit in, sharing a room, swallowing pieces of himself to survive. Yet desire lingers. In a beautifully observed subplot, he anonymously connects on a Grindr-like app with Inaki, his young carer, neither knowing who the other really is. It’s awkward, funny, sad, and painfully honest.

Directors Jose Mari Goenaga and Aitor Arregi confront ageing, queerness, and institutionalisation head-on, without a shred of sentimentality. Cinematographer Javier Agirre captures the contrasting worlds vividly: the sunlit, vibrant dunes of Maspalomas shimmer with life, while the muted, confining spaces of the San Sebastian nursing home feel suffocating and bleak. This visual dichotomy underscores the emotional journey of Vicente. For him, it isn't just a change of scenery; it is the physical manifestation of a shrinking life.

The film was born from a desire to spotlight the ageing queer community, an often-invisible demographic who face specific challenges, especially within the aged care system.

The creeping arrival of COVID, through whispered news and lockdowns, deepens the isolation and fear, especially for the elderly.

Maspalomas comes full circle, returning to the beach where it began. Vicente is changed. So are we. Juicy and quietly radical, it asks a hard question: what happens to queer lives when the party ends?

Highlights

• Jose Ramon Soroiz’s award-winning, deeply nuanced lead performance
  
• Honest, unflinching exploration of ageing, queerness, and institutional life
  
• Beautiful cinematography contrasting sunlit freedom and institutional confinement
  
• A raw, tender portrayal of father-daughter estrangement and reconnection
  
• Timely inclusion of COVID lockdown impact on elderly communities
  
• Subtle, funny, and heartbreaking depiction of desire and loneliness in later life
  

Who’s it for

• Viewers interested in queer cinema beyond youth-focused narratives
  
• Anyone wanting to understand the challenges of ageing in LGBTQ+ communities
  
• Fans of character-driven dramas with emotional depth and complexity
  
• Those intrigued by stories of family estrangement and reconciliation
  
• Audiences drawn to films that confront societal taboos with honesty and heart
  

Maspalomas screens as part of the Europa! Europa Film Festival, an annual celebration of European cinema. This year’s program features 43 films from 22 countries and runs from February 19 to March 19, with screenings in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart, and Auckland.

Reviewed by Mary Sinanidis