The loveliest love story almost no one saw: a film tip for Maspalomas's queer community

There are films every critic loves — and which nevertheless vanish from cinemas almost unnoticed. «Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe» is one of them. A tender, slow-burning love story between two Mexican-American teenagers in 1980s Texas. For a readership with one of Europe's most open and diverse corners on its doorstep in Maspalomas, it is the perfect tip for a quiet evening between the beach and the Yumbo.

Why Maspalomas?

The south of Gran Canaria is no ordinary resort. Maspalomas ranks alongside Madrid, Barcelona, Sitges and Torremolinos among Spain's great queer destinations — and internationally among the best known of all. The heart beats in the Centro Comercial Yumbo, which for some four decades has formed the centre of the scene. While northern Europe shivers, the island's south beckons with warmth and a lively scene that draws international guests from Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Scandinavia all year round.

It is against precisely this backdrop that a film handling the very themes that mark this place — identity, acceptance, the freedom to be oneself — is worth a look.

The film

What it is about

The story is set in 1987 in El Paso, a city on the Texas-Mexico border. It follows Ari, a guarded, angry fifteen-year-old, and Dante, an open, artistic boy he meets one summer day at a swimming pool. The two share unusual names — borrowed from a famous philosopher and a famous poet — and over one tender year build a friendship that slowly, hesitantly, becomes something more.

The source is an acclaimed novel by the US author Benjamin Alire Sáenz, published in 2012. Sáenz is no teen-fiction hobbyist but a serious literary voice: he was the first Latino author to win the prestigious PEN/Faulkner Award. His novel was later named by «Time» magazine one of the hundred best young-adult books ever; the 2021 sequel went straight to number one on the «New York Times» bestseller list.

An adaptation made of love

The adaptation was a labour of love. It was written and directed by Aitch Alberto, her feature debut — she had cold-emailed Sáenz years earlier and won his trust. Behind her stood two of the best-known names in Latino entertainment: Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the musical «Hamilton», and the Mexican comedy star Eugenio Derbez, both as producers; Derbez also plays Ari's father. Eva Longoria, known worldwide from «Desperate Housewives», took a supporting role as Dante's mother. The two leads, Max Pelayo and Reese Gonzales, were newcomers.

When the reviews landed, they were strikingly warm. On Rotten Tomatoes, the platform that gathers professional critics, the film held a perfect rating in its early phase; to this day the audience score sits at around 95 percent, plus a nomination for a GLAAD Media Award. Trade papers praised the cinematography, the 1980s atmosphere and the bravery of the young actors; the US magazine «Variety» called it one of the most well-rounded teenage films around. Not every voice was a rave — the «Hollywood Reporter» felt the film explained itself too much rather than showing — but the keynote was affection.

Why almost no one saw it in cinemas

And here the film becomes a cautionary tale. For all the critical love, it took only around $408,000 worldwide — a tiny sum a major studio film makes in a single afternoon. It premiered in Toronto in 2022 but did not reach US cinemas until September 2023. In between came the big Hollywood strike of writers and actors (WGA and SAG-AFTRA), which crippled the promotion of many films — this one included. A small distributor, little marketing, few screens: the result was a film that the few who saw it took to their hearts.

Its real life began afterwards — in streaming and at community screenings. Pride centres and cultural groups programmed it for their heritage months, and at home it found an audience far larger than its cinema run ever was.

Why the tip is worth it

For a readership in the island's south, the lesson is bigger than a single film. It is a clear example of how a story can be both critically beloved and commercially invisible — and how streaming has become the place where small, specific films like this finally meet their audience. Anyone wanting to spend an evening in the island's south with a quiet, intelligent love story is in the right place here. Sometimes it is precisely the films that slipped through the net that resonate longest.