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Maspalomas Draws Attention for Portrait of an Elderly Gay Man Who Hides His Sexuality

A Goya for the lead actor has focused attention on the film’s depiction of older LGBTQ+ people concealing their sexuality in nursing homes.

Overview

  • Coverage published June 23–24 spotlighted José Ramón Soroiz’s 2026 Goya for Best Actor and said the award intensified critical attention on Maspalomas.
  • The film, directed by Aitor Arregi and José Mari Goenaga, follows Vicente, a 76-year-old who suffers a stroke and is placed in a nursing home where he withdraws and hides his sexuality.
  • Co-writer and co-director José Mari Goenaga says he based the story on press reports about older gay people who often conceal their sexual identity when moved into eldercare.
  • Reviewers praise Soroiz’s performance as the film’s emotional center and describe the movie as a gentle, bittersweet drama that shifts tone and compensates for some script weaknesses.
  • Critics and coverage frame the film as drawing attention to a wider problem shaped by historical repression and heteronormative care settings, which could prompt calls for better training and policies in nursing homes.