A Poet

An absurd fable about a man who has always been obsessed with poetry and his attempt to live a life of art.

Oscar Restrepo’s lifelong obsession with poetry has brought him no glory. Aging and unpredictable, he has slipped into the cliché of the poet in the shadows. Estranged from his daughter and living with his mother, his life is marked by mental instability, addiction, depression, and unemployment. Reluctantly, he takes a job at a primary school. His encounter with one of the students – a teenage girl from a modest background – and the act of helping her develop her poetic talent brings a glimmer of hope into his existence. But drawing her into the world of poetry and poets may not be the right way.

Simón Mesa Soto has crafted an absurdist fable about the struggle to lead an artistic life. The dark comedy had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize. It was selected as Colombia’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.

Ana-Marija Grøndahl