Frameline50: Maspalomas

Accustomed to enjoying the debaucherous queer enclave of Maspalomas, 76-year-old Vicente (José Ramón Soroiz) finds himself at a crossroads when he must trade the intoxicating pleasures of his Canary Islands retreat for a conservative retirement community. Anchored by a strong central performance, Maspalomas is a life-affirming, tender portrait of what it means to stand firm in your identity — no matter your circumstances.

Without any close family to take him in, Vicente suddenly finds himself in a retirement home in Donostia back in Spain, away from the personal freedom that took him years to build. Unexpectedly surrounded by people from which he must hide his queerness from, Vicente embarks on a journey of rediscovery, reconnection, and reframing of his identity. Directed with remarkable tenderness by Aitor Arregi and Jose Mari Goenaga, and featuring a powerful performance by Soroiz who won a Goya Award (Spain’s equivalent to the Oscars) for Best Actor, Maspalomas is a sobering but ultimately inspiring reminder that coming out is an ongoing process that never really stops.