'La Lucha' returns to Canary Islands cinemas for Día de Canarias 2026
1. Key points
Screening dates: 28-30 May 2026
Coverage: cinemas in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro
Recent awards: BAFICI Argentina (Special Jury Prize), Las Palmas Festival (Richard Leacock)
Theme: traditional Canarian wrestling (lucha canaria), island identity, sport and culture
Main cast: Yazmina Estupiñán, Tomasín Padrón, Cuco Doctoral, Aridany Pérez
2. The news in detail
Jose Alayón's film La Lucha returns to Canary Islands cinemas for Día de Canarias with a round of special screenings between 28 and 30 May. The picture, already shown at numerous international festivals, portrays the world of Canarian wrestling (lucha canaria) through the intimate gaze of its protagonists, blending documentary and narrative fiction.
The screenings will be accompanied, in some venues, by Q&A sessions with director and cast, and by deeper discussions of the cultural and identity value of lucha canaria — an ancestral sport rooted in the pre-Hispanic culture of the Maxos and Guanches.
3. Voices and statements
"La Lucha is more than a sport: it's a language of the body and the community telling us who we are."
— Jose Alayón, director
4. When, where and how to attend
Screenings will take place at the main cinemas across the islands between 28 and 30 May 2026. In Fuerteventura, participating venues will be announced by the organisers in the days leading up to the event. Check the official website or local cinemas' social channels for times and availability.
5. What it means for Fuerteventura
Lucha canaria is one of the strongest markers of the Archipelago's cultural identity: practised by the Maxos and Guanches before the conquest, it survives today as a sport listed as cultural heritage. Read more in our articles Guanche and pre-Hispanic history of Fuerteventura and Traditional festivals and pilgrimages.
