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‘Simon of the Mountain’ Review: Federico Luis’ Sometimes Playful, Often Provocative Debut Weighs What Constitutes Disability

Casting nonprofessional actors, director Federico Luis' debut feature explores the friendships between a group of teenagers with cognitive disabilities.

Twenty-one-year-old Simon (Lorenzo Ferro, an established Argentine actor) first appears ascending a small mountain during a wind storm with a group from a school for disabled youth, hiking toward a statue of Christ. As Simon told Pehuén in the opening minutes, he’s a mover’s assistant, sometimes helping his mother’s boyfriend Agustin (played by co-scribe Toscano) bring materials to building projects. One of the most striking visual scenes takes place at the arcade, where Colo gracefully circles the pool tables on skates while the ears on her bunny hat flop sweetly, drawing Simon’s attention from the game he is playing.

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