A Poet

In this sardonic Cannes Un Certain Regard Jury Prize winner, a washed-up poet decides to mentor a promising young writer in a bid to vicariously relive his glory days.

Once a lauded literary darling, middle-aged Óscar is now broke, unemployed and back at home with his ageing mother. The creative juices just won’t flow anymore, so instead he spends his time starting bar fights, visiting his teenage daughter (much to her chagrin) and signing up for last-ditch spoken-word gigs. When he finally lands a job – as a high school teacher – he meets Yurlady, a student whose impoverished origins belie her poetic gifts. Óscar’s name may be all but forgotten, but perhaps he could scab a smidge of the spotlight if he takes this reluctant wordsmith under his wing.

Inspired by a real-life creative slump experienced by director Simón Mesa Soto – who previously won the Short Film Palme d’Or at Cannes for Leidi (MIFF 2014) – this portrait of artistic midlife crisis set in Medellín, Colombia, is at once witty and poignant, deriving pathos from the antics of its sad-sack protagonist. Anchored on newcomer Ubeimar Ríos’s pitch-perfect performance as the endearingly misguided Óscar, the film shrewdly sends up the art world’s opportunistic fickleness while also critiquing the commodification of talent and disadvantage. Yet, with its dreamy 16mm cinematography and undercurrent of hopefulness, A Poet also emerges as a touching and smartly funny satire about success, connection and the lyricism lurking in the prosaic.

Winner of the Bright Horizons Award supported by Vicscreen.

The flagship Bright Horizons Award celebrates filmmakers on the ascent, as chosen from within the Bright Horizons film competition. Awarding A$140,000 to the winner, it is one of the most substantial film prizes in the world.