A Poet: A Lost Soul in Medellin

 By José Alberto Hermosillo

AFI FEST MOVIE REVIEW: “A Poet” is a captivating Colombian drama with conscience. Its comedic elements soften its darker, yet universal, themes.

The story focuses on Oscar, played by newcomer Ubeimar Rios, who powerfully depicts a middle-aged, frustrated, and depressed alcoholic. Years earlier, he published a book of poems in Medellín. His past achievements, honors, and recognition hold him back from pursuing a career as a poet due to ongoing writer’s block. His life changes when his family urges him to accept a high school teaching position, where he begins to see a glimmer of hope in a talented yet underprivileged student.

Director Simón Mesa Soto, a well-educated high school philosophy teacher in Medellín who speaks fluent English, prefers working with non-professional actors. Soto skillfully condensed and transformed his well-structured and solid second project into an award-winning international success, taking it from Colombia to Cannes, where it won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize, and then to Los Angeles, where it served as the official Colombian Oscar entry in the Best International Feature Film category.

Years ago, when he was about to give up filmmaking, he considered becoming the worst version of himself rather than abandoning his passion. While writing the screenplay “A Poet,” he aimed to create an authentic, true-to-himself character. His creative process reflects his genuine beliefs about life. The story begins by highlighting the poet’s struggles, including financial hardship, depression, and alcoholism. The director also mentioned that working as a teacher in Colombia can be tough for making ends meet.

After screening at the AFI Fest in Los Angeles, the confident director said that while he was searching for the right performer, a friend recommended a high school teacher he knew. After seeing him, Simón hired Ubeimar to join the supporting cast to play one of the other poets. He wasn’t initially convinced that Mr. Ríos was the right person to portray the complex role of the true poet he envisioned.

Taking a risk, Simón chose Mr. Ríos to play Oscar, a decision that changed the public’s view of the character. Ríos trained for two months to perfect his acting technique, and he naturally called it a lucky coincidence. In Oscar’s case, his lack of empathy draws others to him, making him the perfect underdog who connects with viewers.

“A Poet” employs a more abstract, atmospheric storytelling style, which Simón described as a return to a rawer approach designed to reconnect with his Colombian audience. He structured the film around a dilemma to reflect the uncertainty in his own life.

On a technical level, shooting on 16mm film gives the project the raw texture the director wanted, resulting in a unique look with vivid colors and sharp resolution.

Oscar is a character lost in the past. Despite facing societal prejudices—along with misunderstandings of minor abuses, battling alcohol and drugs, poverty, and marginalization—he continues on a complex, contradictory path like jazz partiture.

Director Simón Mesa, “APoet.” Photo by José Alberto Hermosillo, wwwFestivalinLA.com

Simón Mesa Soto explained that his motivation for making the film stemmed from his frustration at not being able to work in cinema as often as he wanted. He surprisingly finished “A Poet” in six months, leading up to its Cannes premiere in May 2025. He mentioned a few times how difficult it is to make a film in Colombia. He is the lucky one, compared to others who spend decades in Los Angeles trying to break into Hollywood without any success.

In one of the earliest and most intense scenes in the film about euthanasia, the audience might want to look for the nearest exit. It’s when the poet talks with his elderly and sick mother about helping her die and contemplating suicide— a conflicting and personal choice for viewers like me who value life deeply. I’m glad I stayed until the end to enjoy this magnificent film full of light and meaning.

There’s a noticeable influence of Soto’s work on that of his fellow countryman, Gabriel García Márquez, which is essential to recognize, although Soto disagrees. “A Poet” hints at Latin American magical realism, similar to the works of the Nobel laureate, who also wrote notable screenplays in Mexico and Cuba, including Alberto Isaac’s “En este pueblo no hay ladrones/There are No Thieves in this Village” (1965). Arturo Ripstein’s debut “Time to Die” (1966), Ruy Guerra’s “Erendida” (1983), and Fernando Birri’s “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” (1988).

“A Poet” continues the tradition of films about suicidal alcoholics; a similar case is presented in Wilder’s “The Lost Weekend,” which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1945 and portrays intense depression and unrelenting drinking. In Mike Figgis’s 1995 film “Leaving Las Vegas,” Oscar-winning Best Actor Nicolas Cage also plays an alcoholic on a suicidal mission.

Despite the tragic and disheartening circumstances, “A Poet” explores themes of innocence, honesty, family values, and awakening—elements that engage the audience and foster appreciation for a genuinely moving work of art.

” A Poet” depicts how society views us when we lose our freedom, trapping us in small shells, isolating us, and dimming our hopes for the future. Here, the future is symbolized by the youth of Latin American countries—a vital fountain of resources. Whether they write poems or work in a nail salon, they still hold on to dreams, goals, and desires.

A Poet - Official trailer (HD)

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Fire of Love: The Everlasting Stars of Volcanology

 By José Alberto Hermosillo

Dangerously real and transcendental. “Fire of Love” ignites the lover’s passion for Earth Studies 101 enormously. 

“Fire of Love” is a complete recompilation of materials related to volcano studies collected deep from the archives of Katia & Maurice Krafft. The French couple discovered their magnetism for each other and volcanoes. Attracted by the powerful energy emanating from the Earth’s interior, they defied nature to fulfill their hunger for knowledge. This Academy Award-nominated documentary can help save lives in communities around volcanoes worldwide.

The daredevils of volcanoes are here to enlighten humanity through their amusing discoveries and heart-pounding missions, leaving an everlasting legacy.

This eye-opening documentary summarizes hundreds of hours of invaluable footage, original materials, incredible photos, specific samples collected from locations, and millions of questions.

Before 1966, all we knew about volcanoes was generic. Geology classified volcanoes by region, age, and size—until the Kraffts came with their exhaustive research, studying every volcano individually.

 

Since they met in a Paris coffee shop, the French couple could not live apart and embarked on a series of overseas expeditions to study each volcano individually. When they were children, their parents took them separately to visit the volcanoes in Italy – they started with the Stromboli.

In 1970, they married. Their honeymoon was in Santorini, the mythical city of Atlantis. They devoted their lives to studying volcanoes and decided not to have children. The newlyweds were the first and probably the only volcanologist couple in the world, and they revolutionized every previous theory about volcanoes and tectonic plates. 

Once they start their journey, the film’s visuals and environmental sounds blend together, complemented by “Je Me Sens Vivre,” a romantic French song by Dalida.

Dalida -- Je Me Sens Vivre

They brought down every theory and myth about volcanoes, even the truths and fragments of history already set in books. As they went deeper, more questions arose. They traveled to different countries, continents, and Islands, starting with Mt. Edna and Stromboli in Italy to begin their investigation. They knew that every mystery had to be solved. They lived every new adventure to the fullest.

TV appearances were recorded during their studies, and it was an excellent opportunity to show the world that studying volcanoes must be done individually, not as a generic classification. Every volcano is a different animal. And they were more excited to show their findings when the TV became color.

They had their strengths—Katia worked on still pictures, printing books, chemistry, soil composition, gases, and physics. Maurice filmed everything on location, including eruptions, and kept the records and archives in order. 

Both complemented each other exceptionally well. The closer they got to the volcanoes, the more they saw, and the more they became volcano runners. Even local people helped them with supplies and guidance to reach the craters.

Contemplating the devastating landscape surrounding a volcano, Maurice and Katia stated, “We are not religious; we are scientists, but we have our short life to return to the ground.” They romanticized their job, driven by their passion for volcanoes and each other. Katia observed 170 volcanoes, Maurice 150, 20 fewer than hers.

Maurice prefers an intense and short life to a monotonous, long one. In his existentialist philosophy, he feels his life is a kamikaze mission in the beauty of volcanic things and the strenuous sounds of volcanic explosions. 

They developed a new classification theory for volcanoes: Red and Grey. They named Red Volcanoes after the red magma moving beneath the plates, and Grey Volcanoes after the grey smoke and ash. Red volcanoes produce the most fertile soil for plant and vegetable growth. But these were the more explosive, the monster volcanoes, the killer volcanoes, such as Mount St. Helens in the US near Vancouver, Canada.

“Volcanology is a science of observation. The closer they get, the more they see.” With the new gear, they could get closer to the edge. In their fascination with danger, the unknown is not to be feared, but something is not torn. When Krakatoa erupted in Indonesia in 1971, scientists studied the chemistry and water composition, including the acidity that killed all organisms surrounding the volcano. In 1973, they visited one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Mt. Nyiragongo in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, will continue the studies of lava and soil composition.

The signs before a blast are the alteration of minerals, gases, soil temperature, and tremors that ignite an eruption, but there is no certainty to know when or at what time. “Going to the site of a volcanic eruption is like playing Russian roulette - you never know when you will be killed,” said Maurice.  

In 1985, the volcano Nevado del Ruíz erupted in Colombia, killing around 25,000 people while they slept. The government ignored evacuation warnings, and Katia arrived to testify about the damage. Since then, the Kraffts’ film has been used as educational material to warn communities near volcanoes to evacuate and save lives because timing is everything.

Independent writer, producer & director Miranda July narrates “Fire of Love.” FestivalinLA ©2011

Independent filmmaker Miranda July’s narration in “Kajillionaire,” “Me You and Everyone We Know,” and “The Future” is vivid and evocative. 

Sara Dosa, director of “Fire of Love.” Photo by José Alberto Hermosillo. FestivalinLA ©2023

The documentary, co-written and directed by Sara Dosa (producer of the Academy-nominated “The Edge of Democracy”), powerfully portrays the well-selected material. Dosa did a marvelous job assembling this gigantic puzzle from Krafft’s materials, studies, and discoveries.

 

Legendary German filmmaker Werner Herzog worked on a few projects focused on the Kraffts - “The Fire Within” and “Into the Inferno.” Still, nothing compares to the force of “Fire of Love” through its imagery and consistent structure.

The selected material can be compared to the fabric of other Academy Award-winning music documentaries, such as “Summer of Soul” and “Amy,” about the life of Amy Winehouse, where home videos are a key element in helping the world connect with the legendary singer.

 

What keeps us watching the documentary is the fantastic material and the lives of those two passionate French investigators who pursue their dreams and dare, like no one else, to go further. Katia, Maurice, and the Volcanos’ love story. 

Fire of Love Trailer | National Geographic

Sara Dosa, director of “Fire of Love.” Film critic José Alberto Hermosillo. FestivalinLA ©2023

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9 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS ADVANCE IN THE OSCAR® RACE 2019

By José Alberto Hermosillo

9 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS ADVANCE IN THE OSCAR® RACE 2019
www.FestivalinLA.com

This week, the Academy preselected nine foreign films in competition, before they announce the five nominees next month.

The nine films give more diversity to the foreign language competition this year. The usual contenders from Europe are facing fierce competition from Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia.

Two of those Oscar-worthy movies are big surprises, Colombia and Kazakhstan. Only two films are part of the frequently nominated countries: Denmark and Germany.

Lebanon gets its second nomination in the row. Poland and South Korea are also strong contenders as well. 

The winner of the Palme d'Or in Cannes will face off Vs. the winner of the Golden Lion in Venice - Shoplifters from Japan Vs. Roma from Mexico.

The significant absentees this year are Italy, France, Spain, and Sweden. Their projects didn't have enough stamina to go farther and reach one of the nine semifinalists spots.

9 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS ADVANCE IN THE OSCAR® RACE 2019
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Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 91st Academy Awards. 

Colombia, “Birds of Passage”
Denmark, “The Guilty”
Germany, “Never Look Away”
Japan, “Shoplifters”
Kazakhstan, “Ayka”
Lebanon, “Capernaum”
Mexico, “Roma”
Poland, “Cold War”
South Korea, “Burning.”

Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.

The 91st Oscars^® will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre^® at Hollywood & Highland Center^® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. 

The Oscars will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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16 Latino Submissions for the Academy Awards® 2017

By José Alberto Hermosillo,

This year, many great films from all over the world submit for consideration in the Best Foreign Language Film category, a record number of 85 films had the requisites to claim one Oscar.

Notably, 2017 is not a good year for the Latino productions. Most of those submissions have no possibilities to compete with the European productions in contention. 

The list of best foreign films includes legendary directors and some favorites to get a nomination. Paul Verhoeven for "Elle" representing France. Oscar winner Iranian director Asghar Farhadi for "The Salesman." Xavier Dolan for "It's Only the End of the World" from Canada, and the German festival sensation "Tony Erdmann," or the Swiss animation "My Life as a Zucchini."

The Latino-American countries have to learn what kind of movies the Academy is looking for, to choose better and more competitive films. 

We need to have those films screening in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, where the members of the Academy are. Also, they need to invite more press to review our films and meet the filmmakers. Still, a lot of work to do to reach Universality for Latino films

What is important is that the Latino Submissions have to be watched by more Academy members and also by the Latino community, just to appreciate the excellent representation of the Latino culture in films. 

The Latino submissions are hard to catch at regular movie theaters, but we have to watch them somehow.  

ARGENTINA
THE DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN/ 
El ciudadano ilustre
Dir. Gastón Duprat and
Mariano Cohn,
Spanish.

BOLIVIA

SEALED CARGO/

Carga Sellada

Dir. Julia Vargas-Weise,

Spanish.

BRAZIL

SMALL SECRET/

Pequeno segredo

Dir. David Schurmann,

Portuguese.

CHILE

NERUDA/

Neruda

Dir. Pablo Larrain,

Spanish.

COLOMBIA

ALIAS MARIA/

Alias María

Dir. José Luis Rugeles Gracia,

Spanish.

COSTA RICA

ABOUT US/
Entonces Nosotros
Dir. Hernan Jimenez
Spanish.

CUBA
THE COMPANION/
El acompañante 
Dir. Pavel Giroud,
Spanish.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
FLOR DE AZÚCAR/

Sugar Flower

Dir. Fernando Baez Mella,

Spanish.

ECUADOR
SUCH IS LIFE IN THE TROPICS

Sin muertos no hay carnaval

Dir. Sebastián Cordero,

Spanish.

MEXICO

DESIERTO

Dir. Jonás Cuarón,

Spanish, English.

PANAMA

SALSIPUEDES

Dir. Ricardo Aguilar Navarro and

Manuel Rodríquez,

Spanish.

PERU

VIDEOPHILLIA (AND OTHER VIRAL SYNDROMES).

Dir. Juan Daniel Frenández,

Spanish, English.

PORTUGAL

LETTERS FROM WAR

Dir. Ivo M. Ferreira,

Portuguese.

SPAIN

JULIETA

Dir. Pedro Almodóvar,

Spanish.

URUGUAY

BREADCRUMBS/

Migas de pan

Dir. Manane Rodriguez,

Spanish.

VENEZUELA

FROM AFAR/

Desde Allá

Dir. Lorenzo Vigas,

Spanish.

 

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