Oscar's obsession with poetry has turned him into the cliché of the failed poet. Once a promising voice in Colombian literature, he is now a middle-aged alcoholic who still lives with his mother and whose daughter, who also lives with her mother, has lost all respect for him. Although he no longer writes, he occasionally gives self-aggrandizing speeches at the local poets' association or on the streets of Medellín at night. When he meets the talented Yurlady, a teenager from a humble background who has all the secondary characteristics of a rising star, his spiral of self-destruction comes to a halt. He sets out to nurture this new talent and make amends for his erratic behavior.

This bizarre and tragic comedy won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival and was submitted by Colombia in the Best International Film category for the 2026 Oscars.

A hilarious fable about trying to lead a creative life and failing miserably at making ends meet. Its tone shifts from absurdist to serious to satirical and back again. This odd mix should not work, but Soto pulls it off with a sure hand and precisely exacting storytelling. That it succeeds in being both funny and poignant makes “A Poet” even more of an achievement. - Variety