A Poet : A Haunting Ode to Idealism and Hope in Contemporary Colombia

A Poet, directed by Simón Mesa Soto, tells the story of Oscar Restrepo (played by Ubeimar Rios), a once-hopeful writer who stubbornly clings to the idea of being a poet, even as the world around him dismisses his claims. He is an idealist not grounded in reality, struggling with almost every aspect of his life, his work, his money, his separated wife and daughter, and his siblings.

At the insistence of his sister, Oscar reluctantly accepts a job as a schoolteacher. It is here that he discovers a glimmer of light when he meets Yurlady, a gifted young girl whose writing hints at rare poetic talent. Believing he has finally found a chance at redemption, Oscar tries to mentor her, projecting onto her the dreams he himself has failed to fulfill. Yet, the tragedy is that Yurlady is largely indifferent to poetry and uninterested in pursuing the path Oscar imagines for her.

That fragile thread of purpose does not simply fade, it shatters because of one incident at a poet event. An accident during the gathering, where Oscar’s role and his intentions come under scrutiny, becomes the spark that undoes everything. Suspicion grows, and the same institutions that had reluctantly let him in turn against him. In one swoop, his job is gone, and his reputation within the poets’ society collapses. Perhaps most painfully, his daughter, who was already wary, now sees him as a figure she cannot trust.

Despite the rejection, Oscar never lets go of his ideals. The film closes with him speaking not about defeat but about hope, about the possibility of change, and above all about his determination to be better for his daughter.

Visually, A Poet carries the hallmarks of much South American cinema. It uses raw camera work, often closing in tightly on faces to capture unvarnished emotion. The actors appear without layers of glamour or makeup, heightening the sense of realism. There are moments when the camera lingers on Oscar as he cries, not in a stylized cinematic way, but in the most vulnerable, human way possible, adding to the raw and unpolished texture of the film. The music, subtle yet haunting, lingers in the background, mirroring Oscar’s inner despair and his desperate yearning for dignity. This is not a glossy production; it is deliberately slow in its rhythm, unafraid to test the viewer’s patience, and firmly grounded in the harsh social realities of Colombia.

The film’s power lies in this very rawness. It reflects a society where dreamers are often crushed under the weight of pragmatism and where idealism is ridiculed as naivete. Yet, through Oscar’s tragicomic failures, borrowing money from his daughter, fumbling at public readings, or clinging to the poets’ society that eventually pushes him away, the audience sees not just his despair but also his unyielding spirit.

Premiering at Cannes in 2025, A Poet was awarded the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section, making it only the second Colombian film to achieve such recognition. It is both an artistic triumph and a deeply human story, a film that blends personal tragedy with a subtle social critique.

Ultimately, A Poet is not merely about one man’s downfall but about the survival of ideals in a world that has little space for them. It is a melancholic yet tender reminder that even when everything else collapses, the faint flame of hope can still endure.