# Simon of the Mountain

Simon of the Mountain (Spanish: Simón de la montaña) is a 2024 coming-of-age drama film co-written and directed by Federico Luis in his feature directorial debut. It stars Lorenzo Ferro as a lonely young man who becomes a part of a group of disabled teenagers. It is a co-production between Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. It had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on 15 May 2024, where it won the Critics' Week Grand Prize.

## Plot

21-year-old Simón joins a group of disabled young people on a windswept mountainside. The group is on a pilgrimage. They immediately accept the non-disabled Simón into their ranks and he becomes friends with Pehuen. Simón's character begins to change through his experiences with the young people. He gradually creates a new identity for himself and accepts Pehuen's offer of coaching to obtain an official disability card. This would enable him to stay with the group and receive regular state aid.
When he imitates such behavior patterns in front of his mother and her boyfriend, he is called an "idiot". Simón is increasingly seen by his family as stubborn and uncooperative. His life becomes more complicated when the disabled girl Colo falls in love with him and hopes for a romance.
At the end of the film, Simón undergoes a psychiatric assessment by the authorities in order to obtain a disability card.

## Cast

* Lorenzo Ferro as Simón
* Kiara Supini as Colo
* Pehuen Pedre as Pehuen
* Laura Nevole as Simón's mother
* Agustin Toscano as Agustin
* Camila Hirane

## Production

The film is inspired by the director's own experience of working as a teacher's assistant at a drama school for disabled people. It was there that Luis met aspiring actor Pehuen Pedre, who offered to tutor him for the disability exam. Luis selected him to portray a mentor for the protagonist Simón.
Patricio Álvarez Casado produced through film for 20/20 Films (Argentina), in co-production with Planta Producciones (Chile) and Mother Superior (Uruguay).

## Release

The film was selected to be screened in the main competition of the Critics' Week section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 15 May 2024.
Paris-based company Luxbox acquired the international sales rights to the film.

## Reception
### Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10.

### Accolades

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Cannes Film Festival | 25 May 2024 | Critics' Week Grand Prize | Federico Luis | Won |
| Cannes Film Festival | 25 May 2024 | Caméra d'Or | Federico Luis | Nominated |
| Lima Film Festival | 17 August 2024 | Best Picture | Simon of the Mountain | Won |
| Lima Film Festival | 17 August 2024 | Peruvian Association of Film Press (APRECI) Award for Best Film in Competition – Honorable Mention | Simon of the Mountain | Won |
| Lima Film Festival | 17 August 2024 | Best Actor | Lorenzo Ferro | Won |
| Santiago International Film Festival | 25 August 2024 | Best Film – International Competition | Simon of the Mountain | Nominated |
| Santiago International Film Festival | 25 August 2024 | Best Performance – International Competition | Lorenzo Ferro | Won |
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | 28 September 2024 | Latin Horizons | Simon of the Mountain | Nominated |