SXSW London 2025: Cielo
Eight-year-old Santa (Fer Monserrat) lives in a remote Bolivian village with her parents at the start of writer-director Alberto Sciamma’s visually stunning Cielo. After swallowing a fish that she catches in a nearby lake, the youngster decides to murder her parents. With her mother’s body stuffed in a barrel and carrying a fish in a bucket for company, she embarks on an odyssey across the desert to take her mother to heaven. On the way, she’ll encounter a grumpy priest, join a group of all-female wrestlers, and befriend a lonely police officer in this fascinatingly strange fairy tale fronted by a dazzling performance from its young star.
From the opening shot of Santa sitting by the lake, it’s evident that Sciamma has created an extraordinarily beautiful film. Whether it’s watching Santa dance in the desert against the setting sun or seeing a mountain road stretch out for miles, each frame is as breathtaking as the last. A playful soundtrack of pan flutes and marimbas combines with the vibrant colours to create a carefree coming-of-age atmosphere as the protagonist navigates the peculiar scenarios that she finds herself in. The genius of Cielo, however, is its ability to blend these feel-good moments with harrowing imagery, such as Santa’s murderous outburst in the opening or the fate of her pet fish. These unexpected tonal shifts in turn create a sense of surrealness that draws viewers deeper into Santa’s journey.
For as fantastical as events can get, Sciamma’s script remains grounded in its human aspects. Santa may claim to have a sentient fish living in her stomach, but she’s still a young girl who’s searching for a better life for herself and her mother. Monserrat is remarkable throughout the feature. The young star flawlessly embodies the duality of the film’s tone, being both an endearing child and an eccentric oddball with pitch-perfect deadpan delivery. Fernando Arze Echalar is likewise excellent here, whose onscreen rapport with Monserrat makes for a heartwarming connection between the pair.
For as bizarre and abstract as it becomes, Cielo is a strange and wonderful coming-of-age tale, which explores large theological ideas with a ton of personality and a talented cast.
Andrew Murray
Cielo does not have a release date yet.
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