Belmonte
by Mary Nyiri

Federico Veiroj, Uruguay/ Mexico



Belmonte is an artist and sells very large paintings to very important people. Sometimes some very important women want a piece of the artist as well. Perhaps that explains why his wife is pregnant with another man’s child, but their relationship remains unexplored. Belmonte has a ten year old daughter, Celeste, from his marriage. Celeste likes spending time with her father but when it is time for her baby brother to be born, she wants to be with her mother. Belmonte understands. The festival write-up of this film says that “the time spent with her (Celeste) is his (Belmonte) greatest artistic inspiration.” I am completely baffled by this description of the film since Belmonte creates larger than life paintings of naked people, predominantly men with very large penises. Nevertheless, this is a portrait of an artist.