The Colombian film “A Poet” brought immense joy to its production team today. Becoming the big winner at the awards ceremony of the 46th Havana Film Festival.
Directed by Simón Mesa, won the Coral Award for Best Feature Film and the Coral Award for Best Actor for Ubeimar Ríos.
It also won the Don Quixote Award, presented by the International Federation of Film Societies. And the Signis Award, from the World Catholic Association for Communication.
For its lead actor, the film was a novel experience. An adventure from which he gained valuable insights and a sense of connection with the character. In a press conference at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba in Havana, Professor Ubeimar Ríos, who plays Óscar Restrepo, expressed how interesting it was to portray the reality of families in certain places. Whose stories—though local—resonate internationally because similar situations are experienced in many other locations.
Regarding the relationship between non-professional and professional actors, he considered it crucial for filming. As it provided the necessary strength for everything to go smoothly.
He identified with the role in some ways because, like him, he loves poetry, is a professor, and a failure in literature, he added with a laugh.
About the preparation process, he said: “I tried to find my own method; there’s a lot of emotion in the film, and I wanted the emotions to be Oscar’s.” He achieved this to a certain extent, he said, “but there were moments when Ubeimar had to lend his own emotions to the carácter. So that a scene could flow.” It was very hard work and required a lot of dedication in the preceding months, he recalled. To the point of sometimes assuming Óscar Restrepo’s personality.
“What experiences did working on ‘A Poet’ provide you?”
“There are many lessons, such as beginning to understand filmmaking and that the film is internal. It’s not so much about what you project, but what you think.” The film’s director told him, when he saw him deep in thought: “Ubeimar, you shouldn’t be worried about doing things perfectly. You have to be calm and willing,” a lesson he said he will always carry with him.
Near the end of his remarks, he highlighted the fact that it’s the film with the longest run in theaters in Colombia, three months.
“A Poet” is a 2025 co-production between Colombia, Germany, and Sweden, and the plot revolves around Óscar Restrepo, whose obsession with poetry has brought him no glory.
“A Poet” Meeting Yurlady, a teenager from a humble background. So helping her cultivate her talent brings some light to her days. But dragging her into the world of poetry might not be the right approach, the synopsis notes.
With information from Prensa Latina
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