1984, northern Chile… A remote mining town lives side by side with a queer commune. These are the years when the AIDS epidemic, not yet fully defined but already taking lives at a terrifying pace, casts a heavy shadow. For the trans women who endure constant insults during the day, but whose tavern fills up with miners once evening falls, life has become even harder. The mysterious disease, with no known origin or cure, fuels prejudice and hatred. According to rumors spread by the townspeople, even making eye contact with a trans woman is enough to contract the virus. Twelve-year-old Lidia is the spiritual daughter of Flamingo, the undisputed star of the commune. As Flamingo weakens each day under the growing effects of the illness, Lidia learns what it means to stand on her own feet.

Although its central themes are death and mourning, The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo is ultimately a coming-of-age story about survival and resistance. Young director Diego Céspedes, unafraid of sentiment, fills his debut feature with melodrama, dance, and music, immersing the audience fully in the emotional intensity of this world.

Cannes 2025

Un Certain Regard Prize