Magical-realist fairytale set in the Bolivian desert. One of 2025's most unique fantasy films.
Eight-year-old Santa promised her mother to free her from life's hardships and lead her across the desert into paradise. In a disillusioned priest’s old truck, with only a fish for company, Santa sets off for a better future.
Spanish director Alberto Sciamma’s second film is a unique magical-realist revelation set in the Bolivian desert, with its bold colours and blinding sunlight. The very first scene makes it clear that the indigenous Santa possesses mysterious powers, enabling her to go on this otherwise perilous trip. Along the way, she meets some unexpected allies, including a world-weary policeman and a group of female wrestlers. But Cielo is more than it seems: Santa's journey is also about the violence inflicted on women and the weight of generational trauma, transforming a simple fairytale into a story of female empowerment.
