Simon doesn't feel as though he belongs anywhere, yet he somehow fits in with a group of voracious, mentally disabled teenagers. This intensely felt debut explores the lengths Simon will go to find his place in the world.
Original, emotional and provocative… Disability merely adds an extra dimension to the story in this subtle, thought-provoking piece.
Simon of the Mountain 2024
Simón de la montaña
Federico Luis explores the challenges of adolescence and disability in his subtle yet moving first feature. Simon (Lorenzo Ferro), a troubled and lonely young man, leads a melancholy existence with his mother and her partner in the Argentinian Andes. With tension at home, Simon searches for his comfort zone by befriending a group of mentally disabled youths. Despite their challenges, the teenagers’ tenacious attitudes give Simon a fresh outlook on life. As he grows closer to them, he devises a plan to fit into a society he has never felt part of.
As Simon navigates the opportunities and repercussions that come with taking on a disabled persona, he finds his new friends are equally complex individuals with their own curiosities about the world.
Luis’ delicate treatment of individuals rarely given the spotlight endears them to the viewer through the universal desire for love, companionship and acceptance. Utilising mostly non-professional actors and experimenting with sound using a hearing aid, the film is intimate and personal and invites the audience into Simon’s perplexing world in this novel take on the coming-of-age genre. — Madison Marshall