Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes
A cosmic hangout film about male friendship set against the backdrop of ancient Roman baths.
On a cold winter afternoon, António and Jota return from the front with their friends, looking for an ancient Roman thermal bath. They joke with each other while wading through swamps, recounting past tactical glories. The baths have reappeared after a long time spent under the water of a reservoir, and people of all ages curious about the discovery come to spend the day. But there is something mysterious about these thermal springs – the waters seem to exert an influence on the mood of the men, giving them the courage to say things they have never told anyone. As day turns to night, they confess their feelings and their fears of losing their best friend forever.
The film had its world premiere in the Giornate degli Autori of the Venice Film Festival.
“Responding to this site’s ephemeral nature, “Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes” explores ideas about time, as different layers of history swirl together in these steamy waters. Gabriel Azorín’s first feature examines the soft edges of masculinity and the ways men relate to one another when time is miraculously on their side.” – Lucía Salas, Vienna Film Festival
Gabriel Azorín (1981) is a Spanish filmmaker. He graduated in Directing from the Madrid Film School (ECAM) and has a postgraduate degree from the Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola. He has directed the short films “Los galgos” (2012), “Mañana vendrá la bala” (2015), “El ruido del universo” (2022) and the medium-length documentary “Los mutantes” (2016). His work has been screened at festivals such as San Sebastian, Entrevues de Belfort, the Seville European Film Festival, Ficunam, Zinebi, Curtocircuíto and Porto/Post/Doc. He is a member of the collective lacasinegra, whose work has been exhibited in contemporary art centres such as the CCCB (Barcelona), Centro Centro (Madrid) and IVAM (Valencia). He complements his work as a director with other tasks such as the producer and consigliere (an artistic advisor). He also works as a project tutor at the ECAM and the Film Academy Residencies. “Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes” (2025) is his first fiction feature film as a director.
Filmography:
Los Mutantes (2016, doc), Anoche conquisté Tebas (Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes, 2025)