Gabriel Azorín’s debut film explores temporal connections in Ourense

Gabriel Azorín’s directorial debut, ‘Anoche conquisté Tebas’, explores themes of masculinity, vulnerability, and temporal connection through two overlapping timelines. Set at the Roman baths of Bande in Ourense, the film juxtaposes contemporary Portuguese youths engaged in mobile gaming with Roman soldiers preparing for war.

The narrative focuses on the emotional parallels between these groups, using the ancient setting to bridge twenty centuries of human experience. The film features a significant fifteen-minute continuous shot that captures an intimate conversation between two characters, António and Jota, as they discuss their fears and disillusionment while submerged in the stone baths.

Previously presented at the Venice Film Festival’s Giornate degli Autori and awarded at Seminci, the film has been noted for its atmospheric, slow-cinema style, drawing comparisons to the works of Gus Van Sant and Kelly Reichardt.