Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes

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