LOS REYES DEL MUNDO

2022 / 103 min / color

There’s no place for weakness in Medellin, Colombia. Rife with corruption and plagued with drug trafficking and violence, it’s not exactly an ideal environment for the teenage protagonists of Laura Mora Ortega’s film to enter adulthood. But they have a stroke of luck: one of the young characters is granted ownership of a piece of land that was taken from his family by paramilitary organizations many years earlier. With little opportunity for themselves on the streets of Medellin, the group of friends embark on an exciting and dangerous journey into the heart of the country. The spectacular landscapes, which become silent witnesses to the characters’ struggle with their weaknesses, blur the line between reality and fantasy. The Colombian director’s film, which won the top prize at the most recent San Sebastián Film Festival, conveys the poetics of a spellbinding road movie with great social sensitivity. This somewhat surreal journey in search of happiness has delighted both critics and audiences around the world.

• San Sebastián IFF – Golden Seashell, SIGNIS Award, Feroz Zinemaldia Award
• Zurich IFF – Golden Eye
• Chicago IFF – Silver Hugo (Best Production Design)