The new comedy by Álvaro Díaz Lorenzo was presented at the Albéniz cinema as part of the Official Section Out of Competition screenings. Director of titles such as 'Señor, dame paciencia' and 'Los Japón', Díaz has returned to his hometown with a humorous take on the nostalgia of the cultural transformation on the Costa del Sol in the 60s and 70s.
 
With the participation of RTVE and Canal Sur, the film stars César Vicente, Xavi Caudevilla, Carlos Scholz, Natalia Azahara and Cristina Kovani. ‘Vírgenes' takes the spectator back to the golden years of tourism on the Costa del Sol with three friends who decide to travel to the coast of Malaga to lose their virginity after having seen the tourist boom and the air of freedom that prevailed in the area in a NO-DO newsreel. After making up their excuses, they load up a Seat 600 and set off on a journey that will question everything they thought they knew so far. Paco Tous, Antonio Dechent, Joaquín Núñez and other actors complete the cast.
 
During a meeting with the public and the press, director Álvaro Díaz Lorenzo acknowledged that to recreate the period he sought inspiration in numerous films from the Spanish film boom of the 70s: "I watched a lot of films from the period to understand how to approach the setting, the art and the aesthetics with authenticity". Although the story is based on a different idea of a comedy about the tourist boom, 'Vírgenes' is also a road movie starring young people looking for their place in the world. At narrative level, Díaz Lorenzo sought to impose a leisurely pace, in contrast to the speed of today's youth.
 
The setting of Torremolinos in the 70s was also a source of inspiration for the film, highlighting the cultural and social transformation the town underwent at that time.
 
As for the production, Antonio Pérez, executive producer of Spal Films, pointed out that, from a marketing perspective, there was a question as to whether a story set in the 60s and 70s would still be relevant today. "For me, that period was key because of the repression, the music and the change it meant for Spaniards. Torremolinos became a cultural and musical paradigm, and we believe it is an interesting reflection for today's audiences", Pérez stressed.
 
Leo Sardiña, head of RTVA's Film Department, noted that the film also plays with the contemporary vision of ‘Landism’ and the narratives of the period. "Swedish women symbolised the sexual freedom of those years, but I like how in this story the discourse is updated: here it is the woman who saves the protagonist, which brings a perspective that is much more in line with today's times," adds the producer.
 
‘Vírgenes' is a Spal Films production with Antonio P. Pérez as executive producer. The film is also co-produced by Vírgenes la película AIE, Vaca Films Studios and Volf Entertainment, and is scheduled for release in cinemas on 20 June.