La Verbena: a Queer Story by Rubén Sánchez
Spanish director Rubén Sánchez (Furias, Prime Video/Filmin) returns with La Verbena, an intimate, emotionally charged LGBTQ+ film set on a sultry summer night in Barcelona. Blending vibrant festivity with personal introspection, the film follows a close-knit group of friends gathering before heading to the iconic Gràcia neighborhood celebrations. At the heart of the story are Alex (Gabriel D’Almeida, Matthias & Maxime) and Marc (Robin Reese), two childhood friends whose reunion stirs unresolved feelings and long-buried truths.
Alex, on the brink of fatherhood with his girlfriend Anna (Aida Quintana), is struggling to accept his own sexuality. The surprise arrival of Marc, visiting from London, triggers a series of revelations that test their friendship and force both men to confront their fears, desires, and identities. The ensemble cast includes Meri Anglès, Paula Lucas, Marga Leão, Joma, and Serigne Sylla—each playing a role in the emotional unraveling that unfolds across the night.
Shot entirely in Barcelona, the film is as much a visual journey as it is a narrative one. “Cinema can change how we see things,” Sánchez says. “Gabriel and Robin took on incredibly layered roles and delivered unforgettable performances.” Produced by Carla Fernández in her first collaboration with Sánchez, La Verbena is both an aesthetic and conceptual statement about the challenges of self-acceptance and the emotional complexities of queer experience.
An unforgettable night. A celebration. A reckoning. Take a first look at La Verbena now.
