Rains Over Babel (Llueve sobre Babel), the debut feature by writer-director Gala del Sol, will have its world premiere in the Next Competition at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, running from January 23 to February 2. The film will then make its International premiere in the Bright Future section at the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), held from January 30 to February 9.
Set in a retro-futuristic, queer tropical-punk twist on Dante’s Inferno, Rains Over Babel follows a group of misfits converging at Babel, a legendary dive bar that doubles as purgatory. Presiding over this liminal space is La Flaca—the city’s Grim Reaper—who challenges souls to gamble years of their lives in a daring bid to outwit Death Herself.
In this peculiar world, Dante strives to uncover the secrets of his past before his contract with La Flaca expires; the ghost Monet races to reclaim his body before it decomposes; Timbí and Uma do down the circles of hell to save their loved ones; and Jacob wrestles with inner turmoil as he prepares for his first drag performance.
A cinematic love letter to the Colombian city of Cali, reimagined as the mythical City of Maya, the film masterfully blends magical realism with gritty realism, crafting a world as vibrant and unruly as its gender-fluid characters. With Rains Over Babel, auspicious director del Sol, creates an exuberant and psychedelic universe set to funky tropical music tunes that offers a hypnotic journey through love, identity, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of second chances.
A cinematic love letter to the Colombian city of Cali, reimagined as the mythical City of Maya, the film masterfully weaves magical realism with gritty authenticity, creating a world as vibrant and unruly as its gender-fluid characters. In Rains Over Babel, the auspicious director Del Sol crafts an exuberant, psychedelic universe set to funky tropical rhythms, offering a hypnotic journey through love, identity,, and the relentless pursuit of second chances.
“Steeping us in the intoxicating brew of a tropical Colombian steampunk fever-dream, first-time feature director Gala del Sol creates a mesmerizing, fantastical world where life and death collide and fates turn on the roll of dice. A patchwork of vibrant characters inhabited by an alluring ensemble cast take us on a playful ride of subversions running wild where rebellion is king. Everyone’s personal demons are exorcised on this colorful, retro-futuristic stage as passion and performance promise an escape from heartbreak.
“Filled to the brim with lively music and queer joy, Rains Over Babel sings an ode to the resilience and reimagination needed to heal in a world driven by societal pressure. Daring, ambitious, and stylish, it ensures a dreamy cinematic experience.” (Ana Souza, Programmer, Sundance Film Festival).
