Museo Reina Sofía's summer film cycle explores the swimming pool as existential symbol

The Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid has announced its 2026 summer film cycle, titled "La piscina: nadar o hundirse" (The Pool: Swim or Sink), running every Friday and Saturday in July and August. The free outdoor screenings take place in the newly restored neoclassical garden of the Sabatini Building, which features sculptures by Dan Graham, Eduardo Chillida, Alejandra Riera, and Alexander Calder. The program of 22 films examines the swimming pool as a cinematic motif representing leisure, hedonism, sensuality, but also melancholy, crime, and unattainable desire. Highlights include Ion de Sosa's "Balearic" (2025), Frank Perry and Sydney Pollack's "The Swimmer" (1968), Céline Sciamma's "Naissance des pieuvres" (2007), Sofia Coppola's "Somewhere" (2010), Jonathan Glazer's "Sexy Beast" (2000), François Ozon's "Swimming Pool" (2003), Leni Riefenstahl's "Olympia 2. Teil – Fest der Schönheit" (1938), Lloyd Bacon's "Footlight Parade" (1933), Mike Nichols's "The Graduate" (1967), Sol Iglesias's "Los nadadores" (2026), Jack Hazan's "A Bigger Splash" (1974), and a shorts program including works by Barbara Hammer, Bette Gordon, and Tony Hill. The cycle concludes with Jacques Deray's "La piscine" (1969) in a restored 4K copy. Tickets are free, with advance reservations available from the Monday before each screening.