Panama has announced the selection of the drama Querido Trópico (Beloved Tropic) by Ana Endara as its contender for Best International Film at the 98th Academy Awards.
Starring Chilean actress Paulina García (Gloria) and Colombian actress Jenny Navarrete (The Other Son), and set in Panama City, the tender, atmospheric Querido Trópico explores the evolving relationship between two lonely souls who form an unexpected bond. Ana María, a Colombian immigrant working as a home caregiver while harboring a secret, crosses paths with Mercedes, a high-society woman grappling with encroaching dementia that is slowly erasing her identity and past. As they navigate the challenges of caregiving and the search for human connection, they learn to care for one another amid their personal struggles. Like the unpredictable Panamanian weather, this luminous drama shimmers with tropical textures and moments of quiet revelation.
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and has since screened at festivals worldwide. While Panama has yet to secure an Oscar nomination, it came close in 2021 when Abner Benaim’s Plaza Catedral reached the shortlist.
