The film "Narciso," directed by Paraguayan filmmaker Marcelo Martinessi, will represent Paraguay in the next edition of the Academy Awards in the United States and the Goya Awards in Spain in 2027, the Paraguayan Film Academy announced on Friday.
The movie tells the story of a young man who challenges the conservatism of the early 1950s through music, at a time when the dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner was beginning. It will seek a nomination in the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars and Best Ibero-American Film at the Goyas.
The Paraguayan Film Academy said the selection followed a vote by a committee made up of its members, according to a statement posted on social media.
The story behind the film
"Narciso" is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Guido Rodriguez Alcala. It offers a free interpretation of the life of Bernardo Aranda, a radio announcer and dancer whose death in 1959, in circumstances that remain unclear, opened a chapter of repression against the homosexual community after authorities at the time dismissed the case as a crime of passion.
That persecution became known in Paraguay as the "Case of the 108," a number that turned into a symbol of the fight against discrimination facing the LGTBIQ+ community.
Cast and festival run
The film stars Diro Romero, Manuel Cuenca, Arturo Fleitas and Margarita Irun. It won the FIPRESCI Prize at the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival and screened in July in the Horizontes Latinos section of the 74th San Sebastian International Film Festival, one of Spain's leading film festivals.
Martinessi's second Oscar bid
This marks the second time a film directed by Martinessi has represented Paraguay at the Academy Awards, following "The Heiresses," which was selected in 2018 to compete in the best foreign language film category. "The Heiresses" also won two Silver Bears at the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival, one of the industry's most prestigious annual awards.
The next Academy Awards ceremony will be held on March 14, 2027.
