Filmmaker Castro Weaves Queer Desire and Supernatural Love

Filmmaker Lucio Castro's latest work, "Drunken Noodles," is a unique gay film exploring themes of desire, openness, and supernatural connection. Inspired by the simplicity of Éric Rohmer's dialogue and the homoerotic art of Sal Salandra, the film unfolds over two distinct summers. Art student Adnan experiences intimate, reality-bending intellectual and sexual encounters in New York City and the forests of upstate New York.

The narrative draws inspiration from Rohmer's "Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle" and Salandra's embroidered imagery. Castro, who initially intended to make a documentary about Salandra, opted for a fictional approach, believing fantasy offers a "very innately queer" storytelling method. The film's aesthetic, captured digitally in locations like Williamsburg, evokes a nostalgic, retro charm.

"Drunken Noodles" premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival's ACID section and is now in limited release. The film follows Adnan through a current encounter with a delivery driver and a flashback to a past relationship. Castro, who previously directed "End of the Century," is preparing to shoot his most personal film in Argentina, which will explore themes of grief and fatalism stemming from a past personal tragedy.