After a successful theater run and several awards and laurels, Simón is finally available for streaming. The Venezuelan movie, which tells the story of a young freedom fighter who is taken and tortured by forces from Nicolás Maduro's regime, escapes to Miami and now battles his traumas while seeking political asylum, will premier on Netflix in Latin America and Spain and be available to rent through its official website in the U.S. and the rest of the world.
Simón has made waves in the festival circuit, garnering accolades such as best film at the 2023 Venezuelan Film Festival, Best International Feature Film at the Dallas International Film Festival and the Grand Prize at the Heartland International Film Festival in Indiana. It also represented Venezuela at the Goya Awards, the equivalent to the Academy Awards in Spain, eventually losing to powerhouse Society of the Snow.
The film's impact, however, has transcended the festival circuit, becoming a symbol for Venezuelan audiences in the country and abroad. Screenings all over the world have erupted in chants, as it can be seen in an emotional clip shared on the film's website. A quote from the film's director, Diego Vicentini, on the same site, perfectly illustrates why Simón seems to have struck a chord with spectators:
"Venezuela's current migration crisis constitutes the largest exodus in the history of the Western Hemisphere. Over 7.1 million Venezuelans have left their home country, including myself, and despite so many sacrifices made by our people in our fight for freedom, we still haven't achieved the change we've dreamt for. I hope SIMÓN can contribute to this ongoing fight."
Besides its emotional impact, Simon has also won over film critics and industry insiders. It currently holds 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the popular website which brings together reviews from hundreds of critics. And even though Simón was left out as the Venezuelan representative for the Oscars (in what was considered a controversial decision( the film's script was requested by the Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for its permanent Core Collection, a testament to its relevance and technical merit:
The Academy (OSCARS) has asked to place SIMÓN’s screenplay in their library’s permanent core collection!
— Simón (@simonthefilm) September 26, 2023
La Academia (OSCARS) ha pedido colocar el guión de SIMÓN en la colección permanente de su biblioteca. pic.twitter.com/8hsuixGBSM
Simón also became the highest-grossing film in Venezuelan theaters in 2023 and one of the biggest ones in history, even despite the fact that local film authorities originally warned that the film could be in violation of Venezuela's peaceful coexistence law banning hate speech.
Some speculate that it was eventually given a bye because the film actually reveals the failure of Venezuelan protests to bring about any significant change and, therefore, could be seen as a deterrent for any further resistance in the future.
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