Sleepless City

A quiet, tender coming-of-age portrait of a boy filming his vanishing world, aching with loss and rooted in lived-in realism.

Directed by

Guillermo Galoe

Genres

Drama

Starring

Antonio Fernández Gabarre, Bilal Sedraoui, Jesús Fernández Silva

Overview

La Cañada Real, on the outskirts of Madrid, is one of the largest illegal shanty towns in Europe. Tonino, a 15-year-old Roma boy, has always lived here with his family. With his best friend Bilal, they film the world around them using a mobile phone, inspired by the gypsy legends he hears at home. But everything falls apart when a notice of imminent eviction arrives at his home and he discovers that his best friend is leaving La Cañada for good. Tonino finds himself torn between the dream of a new life and his attachment to his family and roots.

How it feels

Melancholic, earnest and warm. Slow-burning and needs your attention.

About

Coming-of-age, family, friendship, isolation

Content

Mild language. No violence, gore or sexual content.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Watch the trailer on YouTube (opens in a new tab)