Cinema has long been a mirror for society, reflecting our loves, our struggles, and our identities. Yet, within the vibrant spectrum of LGBTQ+ storytelling, certain narratives remain underrepresented. While coming-of-age stories dominate the queer cinematic landscape, tales of ageing, later-life transitions, and the enduring nature of desire often go untold.
Enter Maspalomas.
This critically acclaimed feature, set to make its Australian and New Zealand premiere at the 2026 Europa! Europa Film Festival, is poised to change the conversation. Directed by Aitor Arregi and Jose Mari Goenaga, Maspalomas is a tender, humorous, and deeply necessary exploration of queer sexuality in later life. It challenges us to look beyond youth and recognise the dignity, resilience, and complexity of older generations within the queer community.
A Story of Freedom Found and Lost
Set against the sun-drenched backdrop of the Canary Islands, the film introduces us to Vicente, a character whose journey defies typical cinematic tropes. Vicente didn’t come out in his teens or twenties; he found his truth at 50. Leaving behind a traditional life involving a wife and daughter in San Sebastián, he embraced his authentic self later than most.
By the time we meet him in the film, Vicente is in his seventies and newly single. He is living proof that it is never too late to seek freedom, pleasure, and connection. He is embracing life with open arms, revelling in the kind of liberation he denied himself for decades.
However, the narrative takes a poignant turn. After a night of heavy partying results in a stroke and a subsequent coma, Vicente wakes up to a starkly different reality. His estranged daughter steps in, placing him in a residential care home. Suddenly, the freedom he fought for is stripped away. In an environment defined by silence, assumption, and heteronormative standards, Vicente finds himself pushed back into the closet.
This narrative arc strikes a powerful chord. It highlights a terrifying reality for many LGBTQ+ seniors: the fear of “re-closeting” when entering aged care. Maspalomas navigates this sensitive terrain with remarkable emotional clarity, balancing the weight of the subject matter with warmth and humour.
Critical Acclaim and International Recognition
The film’s sensitive handling of these themes hasn’t gone unnoticed on the global stage. It arrives at the Europa! Europa Film Festival with a suitcase full of accolades, most notably from the prestigious San Sebastián International Film Festival in 2025.
There, Maspalomas secured the Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance for José Ramón Soroiz, whose portrayal of Vicente has been hailed as a masterclass in vulnerability and strength. The film also took home the Sebastiane Award, a prize dedicated to films that best reflect the values and reality of the LGBTQ+ community.
Beyond San Sebastián, the film has touched audiences at the BFI London Film Festival, São Paulo International Film Festival, Thessaloniki International Film Festival, and the Montreal LGBTQ+ Film Festival. Critics have been unified in their praise for its honesty. Dirty Movies described it as “a superb Basque drama bursting with humanism, empathy and candid sex”, praising its refusal to shy away from the physical realities of older bodies and desire.
Why This Film Matters Now
The arrival of Maspalomas on Australian and New Zealand screens is timely. As our population ages, the stories we tell must evolve to include the full human experience.
Challenging Cultural Discomfort
Western society often exhibits a deep discomfort with ageing, particularly when it intersects with sexuality. Older bodies are frequently desexualised in media, rendered invisible or treated as punchlines. Maspalomas radically rejects this erasure. It presents Vicente not as a figure of pity, but as a man with desires, agency, and a thirst for life. It challenges the audience to confront their own biases about what queer life looks like after 60.
The Importance of Intergenerational Visibility
For younger queer audiences, films like Maspalomas offer a crucial link to history and a vision of the future. It reminds us that the fight for visibility doesn’t end with marriage equality or pride parades; it continues into how we care for our elders and ensure their dignity is maintained until the very end.
It underscores the need for safe, inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ seniors—places where they don’t have to hide who they are to receive care. By bringing this conversation to the forefront, the Europa! Europa Film Festival is championing a more inclusive definition of queer cinema.
Catch the Premiere at Europa! Europa
The fifth edition of the Europa! Europa Film Festival is set to be its biggest yet. Running from 19 February to 19 March, the festival is expanding its footprint significantly. For the first time, screenings will be held in Brisbane, Hobart, and Auckland (New Zealand), alongside its established venues in Sydney and Melbourne.
This expansion ensures that Maspalomas will reach a wider audience than ever before, sparking conversations across the Tasman about ageing, identity, and the right to live authentically at any age.
Maspalomas is more than just a film about a man in a care home. It is a vibrant, life-affirming declaration that passion has no expiration date. It is a story about the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring need to be seen for who we truly are.
Don’t miss the Australian and New Zealand premiere of Maspalomas at the Europa! Europa Film Festival. Check the festival website for screening times and locations in your city.