“The Poet” is the second feature film by Colombian director Simón Mesa Soto and marks an important milestone in the careers of both its director and cast. The film was presented in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize. This achievement builds on Soto’s earlier success, including winning the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film in 2014. Produced in a remarkably short time after filming began in January of the same year, the film reimagines familiar artistic themes through a bold, independent approach that challenges traditional storytelling conventions.

The story follows Oscar, an alcoholic poet and intellectual whose passionate, often self-righteous views on art and ideology border on the absurd. Struggling through a series of personal and professional setbacks as a man, father, and poet, Oscar eventually takes a teaching job at a school. There, his life intersects with Yorlady, a poor student who sees poetry and drawing not as intellectual exercises but as a means of escaping hardship. Through their encounter, the film explores how trying to live as a poet in a corrupted cultural environment can be self-destructive. Its satire targets not only the romanticized image of the poet, but also the broader cultural scene, including funding structures and the role of foreign institutions that often support only narratives aligned with their own interests. The story of the “failed poet” is humorous on the surface, yet its irony is often more heartbreaking than amusing.

In terms of performances, Ubeimar Ríos delivers a nuanced portrayal of Oscar, skillfully revealing the character’s tensions between vulnerability and dignity through subtle facial expressions and vocal delivery. Non-professional actress Rebeca Andrade brings emotional depth and authenticity to her role as Yorlady.

The film’s visual style plays a major role in shaping its emotional impact. Cinematographer Juan Sarmiento chose to shoot on 16mm film, giving the work a documentary-like texture. Handheld camera movements, natural vibrations, and soft edges create the impression of a fragile world on the verge of collapse, while also evoking a sense of an earlier era that complements the narrative style.

These visual elements are enhanced by a score composed by Trío Ramberget and Mati Bai. The music shifts dramatically between sharp, satirical energy and moments of quiet emotional resonance, amplifying both the film’s humor and its more painful moments.

The film’s story is built on contrasts: between social classes, between genuine and performative intellectualism, between comedy and tragedy, and between conflicting emotions toward the characters themselves. These tensions give “The Poet” its distinctive voice and emotional power.