Espresso Cinema: The Sleeper - The Lost Caravaggio

The Sleeper. El Caravaggio Perdido.

What happens when a painting that has always adorned the living room of an ordinary house turns out to be a unique work of art in the world? What path does the investigation follow to determine its authenticity? What interests and struggles are unleashed for a piece of art that could be worth $400 million?

For decades, the Pérez de Castro family unknowingly lived with a masterpiece in their living room: a Caravaggio painting thought lost and valued at more than €300 million. Its appearance in an auction catalog for just €1,500 sparked a frenetic international race in which experts, collectors, and dealers gambled on a multimillion-dollar bid to acquire "the sleeper."

This gripping documentary directed by Spain’s Alvaro Longoria is structured like a thriller in which the viewer is guided by art dealer Jorge Coll on the turbulent journey of this piece of art, titled “Ecce Homo.” The Sleeper marks Longoria’s return to directing. His 2012 debut Sons of the Clouds, produced by Javier Bardem, scored a Spanish Academy Goya.

English, Spanish and Italian with English subtitles.

Screening at Luna Leederville.