 The film follows the last 24 hours in the life of Geoffrey Firmin, an alcoholic British former consul in the small Mexican town of Quauhnahuac on the Day of the Dead in 1938.The film premiered at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or.It received Oscar nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Albert Finney) and Best Original Score (Alex North) and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (Finney) and Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture (Bisset).