A Poet
Official Oscar© Selection—Colombia
Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival
The latest film from acclaimed Colombian director Simón Mesa Soto (Leidi, Amparo) is set against the backdrop of Medellín. Oscar is a long forgotten poet, whose fading presence collides with a world increasingly indifferent to art. As he navigates mounting financial strain and the weight of self-doubt, he accidentally happens into a talented young apprentice, Yurlady. Their relationship is not one of easy guidance, but instead, one of uneasy revelations: the contradictions, absurdities, and hard truths that shape an artist’s life.
Behind the relationship developing between mentor and mentee, Soto mounts a biting social critique of art institutions and the people who comprise them. Powered by natural and convincing performances from non-professional actors, A Poet captures both the fragility and persistence of creativity under pressure.
“Immensely appealing and often caustic character study-turned-social-satire”
-Ben Croll, IndieWire