The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo

Local title
Flamingo salapärane pilk
Director
Diego Céspedes
Country
Chile, France
Year
2025
Programme
Best of Festivals
Genre
Drama
Subject
individual vs society, hatred, LGBTQ, history

In the early '80s, in the Chilean desert, eleven-year-old Lidia grows up in a loving queer family pushed on the edge of an unwelcoming dusty mining town. They are blamed for a mysterious illness that is starting to spread – said to be passed through a single gaze, when one man falls in love with another. In this modern western, Lidia leads a quest for vengeance, facing violence, fear and hatred, where family is her only refuge and love might be the real danger.

The film won an award in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard programme, several other festival recognitions, and was selected to represent Chile in the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars.

Director
Diego Céspedes
Screenwriter
Diego Céspedes
Cast
Matías Catalán, Paula Dinamarca, Tamara Cortes, Claudia Cabezas, Luis Dubó
Producer
Giancarlo Nasi, Justin Pechberty, Damien Megherbi
Cinematographer
Angello Faccini Rueda
Music
Florencia Di Concilio
Runtime
Language
Spanish
Subtitles
English
Other festivals
Cannes, Toronto
Director
Diego Céspedes

Diego Céspedes is a Chilean filmmaker. Born in 1995, he studied Film & Television at University of Chile. He worked as a cinematographer and editor on several short films in college, such as Non Castus by Andrea Castillo, Special Mention at Locarno FF 2016, Pardi di Domani. In 2018, he wrote and directed his first short film: The Summer of the Electric Lion, First Prize in Cannes FF, Cinéfondation; and Nest First Prize, San Sebastián FF. Also, the short film was selected at Sundance, Palm Springs, Biarritz, AFI Fest, among others.

Screenings

7th Hall Apollo Kino Plaza
Screening090716 / Flamingo salapärane pilk
SubtitlesEnglish
Q&A guestsGiancarlo Nasi (Producer)
Q&A duration
Screening duration
Trailer