Simon Mesa Soto’s A Poet premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes 2025, marrying comedy and social critique. This Colombian drama follows Oscar Restrepo (Ubeimar Rios), once lauded for his verse, now reduced to barroom readings and unpaid bills in Medellín.
His mother’s apartment is both refuge and reminder of ambition deferred, while his teenage daughter regards him with equal parts pity and exasperation. Oscar’s world pivots when he encounters Yurlady (Rebeca Andrade), a fifteen-year-old whose notebooks brim with poems and sketches.
What begins as a chance teaching gig evolves into a fraught alliance between a faded star and an emerging voice. The film’s tone oscillates between bleak absurdity and genuine warmth, inviting viewers to laugh at Oscar’s missteps yet feel the sting of his losses and hopes.
Oscar’s Character & Performance
Oscar embodies the archetype of the ruined artist clinging to faded laurels. He grips his check-shirt collar as if it still bears the weight of a prize from decades past. Rios inhabits this role with convincing physicality—his slumped shoulders echo regret, while sudden fits of swagger hint at lingering pride.
Early scenes—his slurred on-air appearance and a poetry slam attended by half a dozen peers—underscore a man adrift. In quieter moments, he kneels beside his mother’s bed or sits wordless at his daughter’s kitchen table, revealing a tenderness beneath the bravado.
Rios threads humor into pathos: a lopsided grin undercuts his drinking binges, yet his eyes betray yearning for redemption. Supporting turns—from his sister’s weary kindness to competing poet Efrain’s scorn—shape Oscar’s world, underscoring both his isolation and stubborn resilience.
Mentor–Mentee Dynamic & Emotional Core
Oscar’s encounter with Yurlady marks the film’s emotional keystone. Drawn by her notebook’s raw poems and charcoal drawings, he senses the spark he lost. Their first meeting unfolds in a sunlit classroom, where Yurlady’s hesitant recitation contrasts Oscar’s brash interjections.
When he opts to mentor her, he defies school protocols and peer skepticism. At the local poetry festival, her voice trembles through a piece on skin and history, earning applause that masks exploitation. The aftermath—her collapse in a bathroom stall and rumors of misconduct—strips both mentor and mentee of innocence.
Their parallels emerge: Oscar’s youthful triumphs mirror Yurlady’s potential, yet his cynicism clashes with her guarded optimism. Moments of shared laughter, a silent exchange over torn pages, and their mutual disappointment in others create tenderness amid chaos. This bond drives both characters toward self-discovery, revealing that guidance can wound as deeply as it heals.
Visual Style, Narrative Structure & Social Commentary
Shot on grainy 16 mm film, A Poet wields handheld cameras and abrupt zooms to mirror Oscar’s volatile psyche. The narrative unfolds in four loosely bound chapters—each a vignette in his meandering life—alternating slapstick sequences with darker turns once accusations surface.
Scenes of champagne-soaked readings segue into family dinners where gratitude is sparse. Underneath the humor lies critique: the commodification of suffering in art, seen when festival organizers demand a poem about poverty, and the sidelining of voices that refuse to conform. References to Colombian icons—José Asunción Silva’s portrait in Oscar’s flat or a passing mention of García Márquez—anchor the film in local literary tradition.
Simultaneously, the story resonates globally: any culture that prizes prestige over authenticity will recognize its satire. By weaving form and content so tightly—visual grit reinforcing moral grit—Mesa Soto crafts a portrait of creative integrity tested by profit-driven tastes.
A Poet premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2025, in the Directors’ Fortnight section.
Full Credits
Director: Simón Mesa Soto
Writer: Simón Mesa Soto
Producers: Simón Mesa Soto, Juan Sarmiento G., Manuel Ruiz Montealegre, Katharina Bergfeld, David Herdies, Michael Krotkiewski, Heino Deckert, Kristina Börjeson
Cast: Guillermo Cardona, Ubeimar Rios, Rebeca Andrade, Humberto Restrepo, Allison Correa, Margarita Soto
Director of Photography (Cinematographer): Juan Sarmiento G.
Editor: Ricardo Saraiva
Composers: Matti Bye, Trio Ramberget
The Review
A Poet
A Poet balances sharp satire with heartfelt drama, anchored by Rios’s vivid performance and Soto’s textured direction. Its playful energy and social critique cohere through inventive visuals and emotional resonance, even as its episodic turns risk jolting momentum. Yet Oscar and Yurlady’s bond reveals a profound commentary on art’s value and human connection. This is a film that lingers—funny, painful, and insightful in equal measure.
PROS
- Ubeimar Rios’s immersive portrayal
- Tender mentor–mentee relationship
- Sharp comedic and satirical beats
- Grainy 16 mm aesthetic reinforces mood
- Insightful critique of art-world commercialization
CONS
- Narrative feels episodic at times
- Tone swings can disrupt flow
- Third act stretches its focus
- Some secondary characters underused
- Repetitious humor in places
