Sleepless City 2025
In the sprawling, unseen heart of Madrid sits La Cañada Real, Europe's largest illegal shanty town, where 15-year-old Roma boy Tonino has spent his entire life.
Director: Guillermo Galoe
Cast
Antonio Fernández Gabarre
Tonino
Bilal Sedraoui
Bilal
Jesús Fernández Silva
Chule
Felisa Romero Molina
Felisa
Pura Salazar
Pura
Francisca Jiménez
Paqui
Luis Bértolo
Asistente social
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sleepless City (2025) about?
*Sleepless City* follows Tonino, a 15-year-old Roma boy living in one of Europe's largest illegal shanty towns outside Madrid. When he learns his community faces imminent eviction and his best friend Bilal is leaving for good, Tonino must confront the fragile boundaries between memory, friendship, and an uncertain future.
Who directed Sleepless City?
Sleepless City was directed by Guillermo Galoe, bringing a raw, observational style to this intimate drama set on the margins of Madrid.
Who stars in Sleepless City?
The heart of the film rests on the shoulders of Antonio Fernández Gabarre as Tonino, with Bilal Sedraoui as his loyal friend Bilal, and Jesús Fernández Silva rounding out the core trio.
Is Sleepless City (2025) worth watching?
As an unrated drama rooted in social realism, *Sleepless City* offers a rare glimpse into a world rarely seen on screen. Its emotional core and themes of displacement make it compelling for fans of character-driven cinema, even if broader audience reception remains to be seen.
How long is Sleepless City?
Sleepless City has a runtime of 97 minutes.
🎥 Trailer
About Sleepless City (2025) — A Roma boy's fight to hold onto home in a shifting Madrid
In the sprawling, unseen heart of Madrid sits La Cañada Real, Europe's largest illegal shanty town, where 15-year-old Roma boy Tonino has spent his entire life. With his closest friend Bilal, Tonino documents their world through the lens of a mobile phone, weaving everyday reality with the vivid myths of Roma storytelling passed down by elders. But when a sudden eviction notice shatters their fragile existence and Bilal prepares to leave forever, Tonino's fragile world tilts on the edge of collapse. Set against the stark, unrelenting backdrop of life on the margins, *Sleepless City (2025)* captures the raw tension between belonging and displacement, dreams and disillusionment, all under the watchful eye of a director determined to bring untold stories to the screen.
Guillermo Galoe crafts a deeply human drama that pulses with authenticity, drawing from the rhythms of Roma life and the restless energy of urban survival. The film is a poignant exploration of friendship tested by fate, the weight of tradition in a rapidly changing world, and the quiet courage of a young boy caught between past and future. With its immersive atmosphere and emotionally charged narrative, *Sleepless City* is more than a story—it's a testament to resilience in places the world often overlooks.
