“A Poet” is a tragicomedy film written, co-produced, and directed by Simón Mesa Soto. An international co-production between Colombia, Germany, and Sweden, the film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the section’s Jury Prize. The film stars Ubeimar Rios as an obsessed poet who has achieved no glory, is aging, erratic, and has become the cliche of the poet in the shadows. When he meets Yurlady (Rebeca Andrade), a teenage girl, he helps cultivate her talent. It was selected as the Colombian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. Simón Mesa Soto was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters from 1-2 Special. Thank you, and enjoy!
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