SPA26 Narciso

SPA26 Narciso

SPA26 Narciso

AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE

Inspired by notorious real-life events, this seductive new noir from award-winning writer/director Marcelo Martinessi (The Heiresses) unravels the mysterious death of a charismatic radio host in late-1950s Paraguay — as the rebellious pulse of rock ’n’ roll crackling over the airwaves sparks fear, scandal and moral panic.

Asunción, 1959. Under dictator Alfredo Stroessner’s suffocating military regime, magnetic DJ Narciso Arévalos’ (Diro Romero) popularity has risen in tandem with the arrival of imported American music. Narciso, having returned from Buenos Aires energised by the likes of Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly, has convinced the radio station’s owner to play it instead of traditional Paraguayan folk standards. Narciso’s show ignites a generation craving freedom, yet his defiant allure also earns powerful, dangerous attention.

Visually stunning and immersive, Martinessi’s atmospheric thriller probes how desire, fear, and shared beliefs work together to sustain dictatorships, and reminds us that few forces challenge conformity more powerfully than art, especially the electrifying sound of rock ’n’ roll.

“The film is visually gorgeous, and this beauty serves a narrative and dramatic purpose – to have us fully immersed in the times, to live them as if they were the present.” - International Cinephile Society

WINNER
FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film: Panorama, Berlin International Film Festival 2026

OFFICIAL SELECTION – Panorama, Berlin International Film Festival 2026

Paraguay, Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Spain, France, Uruguay

Rating: CTC
Runtime: 101 mins

Spanish, Guaraní with English subtitles

Session Times

Eastend Cinemas
Sat, Jun 20:
13:15

Sat, Jun 27:
20:20

Fri, Jul 3:
13:30

Prospect Cinemas
Sat, Jun 13:
16:00

Fri, Jun 19:
20:30

Tue, Jun 30:
15:45

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