End of the Century

a film by Lucio Castro
2019, 84 minutes

Synopsis

In his alluring debut feature, Lucio Castro offers both a sun-soaked European travelogue and an epic, decades-spanning romance. When Ocho (Juan Barberini), a 30-something Argentine poet on vacation in Barcelona, spots Javi (Ramón Pujol), a Spaniard from Berlin, from the balcony of his Airbnb, the attraction is subtle but persistent. After a missed connection on the beach, a third chance encounter escalates to a seemingly random hookup. But are these two merely beautiful strangers in a foreign city or are they part of each other’s histories—and maybe even their destinies?

Castro deliberately parses out mystery after mystery, leading the audience on a journey of discovery as the two leading men discover themselves and each other. With sumptuous lensing of a Barcelona summertime and tangible chemistry between the actors, END OF THE CENTURY is a love story that echoes across time.

Reviews

"THE BEST GAY FILM OF THE YEAR."
– Jude Dry, IndieWire

"Poetic. Ambitious. Ambiguous... A promising first feature."
– Glenn Kenny, The New York Times

"a gorgeous examination of what 21st century relationships can look like."
– Manuel Betancourt, Remezcla

"a sublimely haunting experience... Lucio Castro's debut feels like a gay spin on Richard Linklater’s ‘Before’ trilogy, all distilled into a single film."
– Carlos Aguilar, The Wrap

"An absolutely hypnotic romance... Pure magic."
– Gary Kramer, San Francisco Bay Times

"A hell of a debut... a profoundly moving, intensely quiet romance drama."
– Joshua Brunsting, Criterion Cast

"End of the Century is at its most intense, and sexiest, when it’s also at its most unknowable."
- Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine

"An erotic, emotional imagining of a Grindr hookup as memory palace."
– Keith Uhlich, The Hollywood Reporter

Press Materials

High Resolution Stills
Press Kit
Press Release

Where to watch

Playdates

Aug 16-Sept 5: IFC Center - New York, NY

Sept 6-12: Tower Theater - Miami, FL
Sep 6-12: O Cinema South Beach - Miami Beach, FL
Sept 19: Milwaukee LGBT Film/Video Festival - Milwaukee, WI
Sept 20-26: Nuart Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
Sept 27-Oct 3: Camelot Theatres - Palm Springs, CA
Sept 27-Oct 3: Opera Plaza Cinemas - San Francisco, CA
Sept 27-Oct 3: Shattuck Cinemas - Berkeley, CA
Sep 27-Oct 3: Harkins Valley Art - Tempe, AZ
Sep 27-Oct 3: Gateway Film Center - Columbus, OH

Oct 4: Long Island Gay and Lesbian Film Festival - Huntington, NY
Oct 4-10: Landmark's Ritz at the Bourse - Philadelphia, PA
Oct 12: ImageOut: Rochester LGBT Film Festival - Rochester, NY
Oct 14-20: Lark Theater - Larkspur, CA
Oct 16: Madison Museum of Contemporary Art - Madison, WI
Oct 18-24: Gene Siskel Film Center - Chicago, IL
Oct 18-24: Landmark's Midtown Art Cinema - Atlanta, GA
Oct 18-24: Landmark's Mayan Theatre - Denver, CO
Oct 18-24: The Loft Cinema - Tucson, AZ
Oct 24-27: Webster Film Series - St. Louis, MO
Oct 25-31: Landmark's Lagoon Theatre - Minneapolis, MN
Oct 30: Jacob Burns Film Center - Pleasantville, NY

Nov 8 & 10: Cleveland Cinematheque - Cleveland, OH
Nov 8-14: Landmark's E Street Cinema - Washington, DC
Nov 8-14: Landmark's Ken Cinema - San Diego, CA
Nov 14 & 17: The Film Lab - Detroit, MI
Nov 15 - 21: Landmark West End Cinema - Washington, DC
Nov 22-24: SIFF Film Center - Seattle, WA

Dec 11: MoMA - New York, NY

Jan 23: FilmScene - Iowa City, IA
Jan 23: Alamo Drafthouse New Mission - San Francisco, CA
Jan 28: Alamo Drafthouse Downtown Brooklyn - Brooklyn, NY

Festivals & Awards

Winner - Best Film - Buenos Aires Film Festival
Winner - Best First Film - Frameline: San Francisco LGBTQ Film Festival
Official Selection - New Directors/New Films
Official Selection - Outfest: Los Angeles Film Festival