Afternoons of Solitude

Australian Premiere*

“Remarkable … this is a major work from a richly maturing filmmaker.” – Variety

Winner of the top prize at the San Sebastián Film Festival, the first documentary from Catalan provocateur Albert Serra (Pacifiction) follows celebrated Peruvian matador Andrés Roca Rey both inside and outside of the bullfighting arena. The film avoids narration or interviews of any kind, preferring to simply observe Roca: fighting in Spain’s grandest arenas, travelling in a van with his entourage, and getting dressed and undressed before and after the corridas in quiet hotel rooms.  

In its impartiality, Afternoons of Solitude allows us to draw our own conclusions about this ancient custom, with all its pomp and pageantry alongside brutal, obscene violence and cruelty. Serra captures fascinating details: Roca’s team showering him with compliments and praising the size of his manhood after a fight; Roca’s ritual of kissing a portrait of the weeping Virgin Mary by his bed before heading into the arena; the intricate sequinned and embroidered patterns of Roca’s costumes, caked in blood. It’s a mesmeric and unflinching portrait of man and beast, the mythic and the mortal, theatre and death.

Festivals & Awards

European Film Awards 2026 - Nominee, Best Film and Best Documentary
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2024 – Golden Shell for Best Film
New York Film Festival 2024 – Official Selection
Tokyo International Film Festival 2024 – Official Selection
Visions du Réel 2025 – Official Selection

Content warning: This documentary includes graphic depictions of harm to animals.

^{*Excluding Brisbane}