The journey of the Bakalao Route returns to life, revealing its extremes, its darkest corners and, above all, its human core, the values that changed with the times. That is the perspective Valencian director Oscar Montón offers with his first feature, When the Night Is Not Over, which will screen on Thursday at 20:00 as part of the Alicante Film Festival in Kinepolis.
Álex Peral from Alicante joins a leading quartet alongside Sergio Castillo, Roberto Hoyo, and Álex Monterde, a group who grew up chasing the Route in the late eighties and later reconnected in the early nineties.
“It really eased the heavy shadows of those years, not to sensationalize them,” Montón explains. He emphasizes that the film aims to tell the story simply and with sincerity.
The series “La Ruta” reimagines the Bakalao era in the Valencian Community
Filmmaker Montón previously produced a 2006 TVE documentary that looked back at this scene and other self-made explorations of the era, aiming to uncover the untold facets of the route. After that project, he felt there was more to tell and began shaping a fictional narrative. “I started writing the script and was fortunate to connect with Tirso Calero and Begoña Solares, whose insights helped weave the characters into a coherent tale.”
A still from the movie “When the Night Is Not Over” accompanies this section, underscoring the film’s attention to mood and memory.
Montón secured funding from the Valencian Institute of Culture and À Punto, and the shoot spanned four weeks in Valencia. “I knew this phenomenon from my own career, not just because I attended parties, but because I later worked in a nightclub and met the organizers.” He also notes a careful approach: everything should be portrayed with depth, avoiding glamorization of the trend that affected Spain as a whole. “There was no intention to mock anyone; the aim was to show realism while keeping names of clubs anonymous.”
In crafting the characters, Montón highlights their distinct traits and flaws, emphasizing how maturation and life choices shape their paths. The film presents the group as a mosaic of youth at different stages, all touched by the party culture of that era.
The legendary figure Chimo Bayo appears in the film, not as himself but as a larger-than-life Dutch character the project sought to evoke, adding another layer to the Bakalao myth without impersonation.
This was the “Bakalao route.”
In portraying the ensemble, Álex Peral reflects on his role as Carlos, an observer who senses that the moment has arrived for change. Carlos embodies practical wisdom and restraint, contrasting with the more impulsive traits of others in the group. The portrayal avoids straightforward caricature, instead presenting a nuanced reflection of a generation’s crossroads.
Peral, who recently completed Palacio Estilistas with Goya Toledo and Carlos Hipólito, describes Carlos as loyal and honest, someone who anchors the story with a grounded perspective. The performance is described as heartfelt and legitimate, resonating with audiences who recognize elements of their own pasts in Carlos’ journey.
Also part of the cast, the actress speaks about the privilege of premiering at a home festival, calling it an especially meaningful moment given her personal connection to the event.
Sergio Castillo embodies Fran, a group leader whose ambition nudges him toward broader horizons in acting. He explains that the film is a meditation on where ambition leads and what it costs to pursue it, a reflection of friendships and loyalties that define the life they choose to share. He notes the challenge of stepping into a character so different from himself and how that immersion deepened his understanding of the era.
Roberto Hoyo voices Pole, the most carefree yet the most reckless member of the circle. He describes Pole as using the nostalgia and humor of the moment to cover personal insecurities, a vulnerability that audiences quickly recognize and often root for.
Alex Monterde gives life to Cris, a stabilizing yet complex figure whose strength lies in a fierce sense of identity. Cris is portrayed as the cousin of Pol and the former girlfriend of Carlos, a linchpin character whose warmth anchors the group. Monterde observes that Cris embodies the tension between passion and responsibility, a sentiment shared by many who lived the era’s emotional highs and lows. He adds that those who experienced the scene firsthand carry a nostalgic glow that makes the film feel like a love letter to a time of intense friendships and discoveries.
Overall, the cast captures the sense that those who lived the Bakalao years carry a mix of joy and longing. The filmmakers aim to present that memory with honesty, without embellishment, so viewers can see their own stories reflected on screen and appreciate the shared history that shaped a generation.