CIELO (Fantasia 2025)

CIELO (Fantasia 2025)

A young girl, alone, trekking across the vastness of the desert. That was the first image that came to director Alberto Sciamma’s mind—an image that eventually evolved into CIELO, a deeply spiritual and visually captivating journey through the breathtaking landscapes of Bolivia. That girl is eight-year-old Santa, setting out to fulfill a promise she made to her mother before she died: to carry her body across the desert and deliver her to heaven.

Her pilgrimage leads her to a variety of strangers—a female wrestler, a priest, and a weary policeman—all while surreal and mystical moments unfold. Miracles happen. A whole fish is swallowed and later vomited. Through glowing lakes, tender flashbacks, and even Sorcerer-like road treks, Sciamma weaves an uplifting tale—one rooted in empathy and human connection.

He grounds that vision entirely in Bolivia, which becomes a character of its own. Though not Sciamma’s original choice, Bolivia ends up perfectly matching the journey’s emotional and cultural texture. The mountains and salt flats look almost CGI-generated in their beauty. The film bathes in rich, vibrant colors, and many shots feel like they could be turned into desktop wallpapers—you’d never be willing to wake the screen. It’s no surprise CIELO walked away with the Best Cinematography award at the 2025 Fantasia Film Festival, where it had its North American premiere. Frankly, few films this year—festival or not—will come close to matching its visual poetry.

But for all the visual beauty, CIELO truly soars due to Santa herself. Portrayed by Fernanda Gutiérrez Aranda in her first-ever acting role, she is nothing short of a revelation. Her performance has the emotional maturity of a seasoned actor but is rooted in the quiet, perceptive energy of childhood. She doesn’t overplay anything—so much is communicated through glances, pauses, and the way she simply observes the world around her. Her optimism and innocence never feel naïve. Instead, they reveal a strength forged by hardship. It’s especially moving to watch how she changes the people she meets—most notably the hardened cop played by Fernando Arze Echalar. Through those relationships, Sciamma gives us a world where a child’s light can thaw even the most closed-off hearts. And in the times we live in, that’s the kind of message we need most.

There are occasional moments of excess, and they work well when played for humor (like the tragic fate of a fish). They do feel more jarring in the serious moments—such as how a key accident is portrayed or in the mysterious opening scenes. In a lesser film, those would be the scenes that would stick in your mind. Here, they don’t hold a candle to the film’s life-affirming, deeply heartfelt final stretch—and the incredible young girl who carries us there.

CIELO is a film that sees the world through a child’s eyes—but leaves the heart with something timeless.

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