The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel Screening

In the 1970s Tony Powell was a rising name in British soccer. Then he disappeared. Decades later he turned up in West Hollywood as the last person living at the Holloway Motel on Santa Monica Boulevard, with only his dog Samantha for company. The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel follows him as the motel's closure forces him to reckon with everything he walked away from, and on Wednesday, September 30, Holocaust Museum LA is screening it at the Goldrich Cultural Center.

If you keep a running list of things to do in Los Angeles on a weeknight, a documentary with the filmmaker in the room is a good one to add.

The film

Directors Ramiel Petros and Nicholas Freeman mix sit-down interviews with observational footage of Tony's daily routine at the motel. The story moves between three worlds: professional soccer at its 1970s peak, the LGBTQ+ history of West Hollywood, and one man's slow work of making peace with his past. Old relationships and long-kept secrets come back up once the closing date is announced.

Reviewers have called it "fantastic," "a standout" and "thoughtfully intimate." You don't need to care about football to follow it. The soccer is the backstory; the motel is where the film actually lives.

The talkback

After the screening, Ramiel Petros sits down for a Q&A moderated by LA historian Alison Martino. A historian leading the conversation makes sense for a film built around a Santa Monica Boulevard landmark, so there'll likely be some West Hollywood history in the mix alongside questions about the filmmaking.

Practical info

• When: Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM
• Where: The Goldrich Cultural Center, 100 The Grove Dr., CA 90036
• Price: $0-$18, per the Discover Los Angeles listing
• Organizer: Holocaust Museum LA

The Goldrich Cultural Center shares the museum's address at 100 The Grove Drive, on the edge of Pan Pacific Park next to The Grove and the Original Farmers Market. The Grove's parking structure is the easy option, and the area has plenty of places to eat before a 6:30 start. Metro buses run along Fairfax and Beverly if you'd rather skip the car.

The museum lists RSVP details on its own event page, so check the listing below before you head over. Pricing runs from free to $18, so it's worth reserving early.

This is one of the quieter upcoming events Los Angeles has on the calendar this week. It's a small documentary about a real place, with the director there to answer questions afterward.

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