Cielo Review (SXSW London 2025)
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Part of the joy that comes with festival season is seeing the best of what world cinema has to offer, whether it comes from auteur filmmakers or refreshing new voices, there’s always something for everyone. In its inaugural lineup, SXSW London has gifted us with this exciting new feature from Spanish director Alberto Sciamma called Cielo.
The film follows eight-year-old Santa, who embarks on a journey to take her mother from a life of misery into paradise. When her mother es, the girl has to follow the stars and carry her body across the desert toward heaven, a place they believe is as physically real as any other.
Cielo is a lot of things. It’s a coming-of-age story told partially as a road trip journey with dreamlike elements woven throughout it. On the surface, it can feel like one thing, but it very quickly deviates a few minutes later. This may sound like a criticism, but here it is rather effective, as each element gets just the right amount of attention it requires. Despite juggling so many things, it somehow never feels cluttered at any point, with every tonal shift being essential in driving the story forward.
Even the fantastical nature of the film is something that becomes more endearing as it goes on. Whereas some films can commit too heavily to surrealism and get lost in the idea of being ambiguous, Sciamma finds a fitting balance that works in favour of the story he’s trying to tell. From magical healing abilities to swallowing a fish whole that communicates with people, these things may seem strange at first, but very quickly, you learn to accept them as part of Santa’s journey and take them for granted.
The film also looks absolutely stunning. The cinematography from Alex Metcalfe is stylish, colourful and at times intense, merging the strange with the tangible to consistently mesmerising results. The way Metcalfe and Sciamma capture the Bolivian landscapes makes the entire country feel like a character in itself. From the sweeping salt plains to the treacherous mountain roads, the locations are gorgeously captured and jump from the screen at every moment.
However, where Cielo really shines is in its cast, who all bring a certain energy to the film that matches the joyful and occasionally whimsical tone it brings. Newcomer Fernanda Gutiérrez Aranda is genuinely incredible as Santa; a lot of the film hinges on her performance, and she makes every moment and interaction, both endearing and surreal, just as believable as the last. There are also the likes of Fernando Arze Echalar and Sasha Salaverry, who work really well with Fernanda during the film’s more emotional scenes.
Cielo is a magical piece of filmmaking bursting at the seams with heart, vibrancy and originality. What Sciamma has crafted here is a film that may not always make sense in the moment, but washes over you with an unbridled sense of purpose with what it sets out to do.
★★★★
Plays at SXSW London on 6th and 7th June / Fernanda Gutieěrrez Aranda, Fernando Arze Echalar, Sasha Salaverry, Carla Arana, Luis Bredow, Cristian Mercado / Dir: Alberto Sciamma / Luchadore Films
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