‘Simon Of The Mountain’: Cannes Review

Dir: Federico Luis. Argentina/Chile/Uruguay. 2024. 98mins

Inspired by some of his own experiences, Federico Luis’ debut feature Simon Of The Mountain finds a fresh way of addressing adolescence and disability. The story of a young man pushing back against society’s attitudes is original, emotional and provocative enough to have some traction in the arthouse market that has embraced recent Argentinean titles such as The Delinquents (2023), following its Critics Week debut.

Disability merely adds an extra dimension to the story in this subtle, though-provoking piece

The film begins and ends with Simon (Lorenzo Ferro from 2018’s El Angel) being asked a series of questions designed to discover who he is and what ordinary tasks he feels able to complete (making a bed, cooking a meal, etc). The first interview is conducted on a bleak, windswept mountainside where he has joined a group of disabled youngsters on a pilgrimage. The second interview is part of a psychiatric evaluation. In between, Luis keeps the viewer intrigued about exactly where this tale might be headed.

Simon is instantly accepted by the youngsters, especially Pehuen (Pehuen Pedre) who quickly becomes a friend. Simon doesn’t really belong, but somehow he fits in. We have no idea where he has come from or what his back story might be. Initially, Ferro’s waggy head, tics and wide-eyed looks cause concern about an able-bodied actor who is laying it on a bit thick to portray a disabled character. But, like the film, the performance is more complex than it first appears. It is quickly revealed that Simon is not what he claims to be. He is pretending, gradually assuming a persona that is not his own. Ferro remains a compelling central figure throughout as Simon embraces the opportunities and consequences of shedding the skin of his personality.

Simon Of The Mountain has some of the hallmarks of a fish-out-of-water scenario in which a mysterious stranger becomes a catalyst for change. Luis reverses that scenario as Simon is the one changed by his experiences alongside the youngsters as they navigate their way through adolescence towards adulthood. Disability merely adds an extra dimension to the story in this subtle, though-provoking piece.

Luis carefully controls the narrative, but gives proceedings the feel of something partially improvised and spontaneous. One of the film’s distinguishing features is its sly humour. Simon does not have the official disability certificate that would allow him to stay with the other youngsters and receive a regular state allowance. Pehuen agrees to coach him in everything that is required to make his case – an element inspired by real-life events. (Luis was a teacher’s assistant at a drama school for disabled people where he met aspiring actor Pehuen Pedre, who offered to tutor him for the disability exam. Luis subsequently cast him here in a role in which Pehuen becomes a mentor for Simon, extolling the medication he receives or using his disabled status to gain free cinema tickets.)

On one level, Simon is a film about challenging expectations and labels. As Simon assumes the persona of a disabled 21 year-old, he is treated very differently by his frustrated mother (Laura Nevole) and her boyfriend Agustin (played by the film’s co-writer Agustin Toscano). He is called ‘idiot’ at one point and increasingly considered wilful and uncooperative. Matters become trickier when he grows close to disabled girl Colo (Kiara Supini) who is more than ready for romance. “It’s very important that you are my first,” she tells him.

Ultimately Luis makes the most of his premise whilst constantly underlining that the experiences of adolescents with disabilities are really not much different from other adolescents; they are equally as horny and curious, seeking to test their independence and find their place in the world.