A still from A Poet
The Cannes Film Festival announced today additional films for its 78th edition, including the world premiere of the Colombian drama A Poet / Un poeta, the second feature by director Simón Mesa Soto, in the Un Certain Regard section. This marks the first time that Colombia has a film in this competition since José Luis Rugeles’ Alias Maria in 2015.
Starring Ubeimar Rios, Rebeca Andrade, Guillermo Cardona, Allison Correa, Margarita Soto, and Humberto Restrepo, the film follows Óscar Restrepo, whose obsession with poetry has brought him no glory. Aging and erratic, he has become the cliché of the poet in the shadows. Meeting a humble teenager and helping her cultivate her talent brings a flicker of light to his days, but dragging her into the world of poets may not be the right path.
Born in Medellín in 1986, Mesa Soto has already established a strong and fruitful relationship with Cannes. His short film Leidi won the Palme d’Or in 2014, becoming the first Colombian film to win the prestigious award. He returned to the festival’s official competition in 2017 with his short Madre, and his 2012 debut feature Amparo had its world premiere in the Critics’ Week section.
The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will take place from May 13-24.
