The death of Sebastián Lelio was announced on November 6. It shocked world cinema. He was 52.
Lelio was one of the most distinctive voices to come out of Latin American cinema this century. His films, including "Gloria," "A Fantastic Woman" and "The Wonder," premiered at Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Telluride and TIFF. "A Fantastic Woman" won the Oscar for Best International Feature.
The loss is devastating. There's also an urgent question nobody has answered yet, which is what happens to what was supposed to be his final film, "Chilean Poet"?
Lelio had been shooting his adaptation of Alejandro Zambra's acclaimed 2020 novel since September in Santiago. Production reportedly continued on November 5, the day before his death. A person with knowledge of the production tells me there was just one week of shooting left when Lelio passed.
Zambra's novel follows Gonzalo, a struggling young poet who becomes an unlikely stepfather to his old girlfriend's son, Vicente, who years later decides to become a poet himself. It's funny, warm and melancholy, about the fathers we get by accident and the families we choose. That's Lelio territory, and it deserves to be finished the right way.
So far there has been no announcement about whether the film will be completed, who might step in to direct the remaining days, or how much footage is in the can. Any decision will have to go through Fábula, Amazon MGM and the other partners. However, So, by all accounts, it will likely be completed, and we will see this film premiere at a major festival sometime in the near future.
My hope is that Fábula takes its time and treats this as Lelio's film first, rather than rushing it into a festival slot. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lelio’s good friend, and fellow filmmaker, Pablo Larrain takes over production.
I'll update when there's word from the producers.
Lelio had been shooting his adaptation of Alejandro Zambra's acclaimed 2020 novel since September in Santiago. Production reportedly continued on November 5, the day before his death.