back

Narciso

Panorama 2026
© La Babosa Cine
Paraguay, 1959. Asunción vibrates for the first time with a foreign rhythm. Rock ’n’ roll has found its way onto the radio carrying heat, speed and the faint illusion that the times might suddenly move forward. The city feels younger, looser – briefly out of sync with itself. At the same time, another rhythm settles in. Slower. Heavier. A disciplined pulse that orders gestures, silences voices and redraws the limits of what can be seen or desired. Words like virtue, decency, tradition begin to circulate with unusual force, shaping a shared fear. In this charged atmosphere, the charismatic musician Narciso becomes a symbol of freedom. His youth, his body, his way of inhabiting the night resonate with the music and with the threat it carries. Desire becomes visible. And visibility, dangerous. What once passed unnoticed now attracts attention, suspicion, judgment. As the regime consolidates its power, morality determines the situation – both intimate and oppressive. The future does not disappear all at once; it tightens. It learns to watch itself. Between dance and discipline, a new order takes shape, and an entire generation feels it closing in.
by Marcelo Martinessi (Director), Marcello Martinessi (Screenplay)
with Diro Romero, Manuel Cuenca, Arturo Fleitas, Margarita Irun, Mona Martinez, Nahuel Perez Biscayart Paraguay / Germany / Uruguay / Brazil / Portugal / Spain / France 2026 Spanish, Guarani 101' Colour World premiere

With

  • Diro Romero (Narciso)
  • Manuel Cuenca (Lulu)
  • Arturo Fleitas (Dracula)
  • Margarita Irun (Goya)
  • Mona Martinez (Nenucha)
  • Nahuel Perez Biscayart (Mister Wesson)

Crew

Director Marcelo Martinessi
Screenplay Marcello Martinessi
Cinematography Luis Arteaga
Editing Fernando Epstein, Marcelo Martinessi
Music Zeltia Montes Muñoz
Sound Design Fernando Henna, Miguel Martins
Production Design Carlo Spatuzza, Babi Targino
Casting Marcelo Martinessi
Producers Sebastian Peña Escobar, Marcelo Martinessi
Executive Producers Sebastian Peña Escobar, Christoph Friedel, Claudia Steffen, Julia Murat, Alex Lafuente, Ico Costa, Marina Perales Marhuenda, Xavier Rocher, Agustina Chiarino, Fernando Epstein

Produced by

La Babosa Cine

Asunción, Paraguay

Co-produced by

Pandora Film Produktion

Köln, Germany

Bocacha Films

Montevideo, Uruguay

Esquina Produções

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Oublaum Filmes

Lissabon, Portugal

BTeam Prods

Madrid, Spain

La Fabrica Nocturna Cinéma

Paris, France

Guay Films

Montevideo, Uruguay

World Sales

Luxbox

Paris, France

Photos

Marcelo Martinessi

© La Babosa Cine

Born in Asunción, Paraguay in 1973, the writer and director studied communications in his hometown and then filmmaking at the London Film School. He made several short films including La voz perdida, which won the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film at Venice. From 2010 until the coup in 2012, he led the first public television station in Paraguay. His debut feature film Las herederas screened in the 2018 Berlinale Competition where it won two Silver Bears, the FIPRESCI Prize and a Teddy Award.

Filmography (selection)

2009 Karai norte (Man from the North); short film, Berlinale 2009 2011 Calle última (Ultima Street); short film, Berlinale 2011 2013 El baldío (Barren Land); short film 2016 La voz perdida (The Lost Voice); short film 2018 Las herederas (The Heiresses); Berlinale 2018 2026 Narciso; Berlinale 2026

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2026