Simon of the Mountain

Simón de la montaña / Simon of the Mountain

Federico Luis, Argentina, Chile, 2024, 97’

A lonely young man befriends a group of young people with special needs and together, in a world not designed for them, they begin to set their own rules for love and happiness.

Simón, a 21-year-old mover’s assistant, joins a group of people on their pilgrimage to a mountain. Made up of youngsters with different special needs, the group immediately welcome him into their circle. Simón begins to learn about their ways of interacting with the world, which shifts his perspective on one’s place in society while raising questions about his identity. The leader of the Pehuén group becomes his best friend, teaching Simón how to behave in order to acquire a mental and physical disability certificate. His mother notices the changes in his behaviour, insisting that her son is perfectly healthy and that it is just a game. But Simón’s pretence is becoming an increasingly inherent part of him, and two characters seem to exist within him. Which is the real one and which one will ultimately prevail? 

Argentinian-born Federico Luis made his debut film with actors with disabilities to encourage reflection on human capacity and shake up deep-seated ideas about what a person can and cannot do. 

Federico Luis is a filmmaker born in Buenos Aires in 1990. He studied Social Communication Sciences at the UBA (University of Buenos Aires). His short film “La Siesta” had its international premiere at the Official Short Film Competition of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. It was also distinguished with an Honorable Mention in TIFF’s Shortcuts (Toronto Film Festival) and won best short film at the 2019 BAFICI (Buenos Aires Film Festival). In 2023, Luis received the award for best short film at IDFA Amsterdam with “At That Very Moment”. “Stay Still or I Love You” was recognised as the best short film of the Mar Del Plata International Film Festival. “Simon of the Mountain” is Luis’ first feature film.