The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo poster

The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo · reception & legacy

2025 · Diego Céspedes

How The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo has been received, argued over, and remembered.

The arc

Came out of nowhere at Cannes 2025 — a debut feature that took Un Certain Regard's top prize — and has spent the year since climbing: rave reviews (95% on Rotten Tomatoes), Chile's official Oscar entry, and a MUBI release turning festival buzz into a genuine audience.

Its footprint

The thing everyone leaves talking about is its premise-as-image: a mysterious illness whispered to pass between men through a loving gaze — an AIDS-era myth that has become the film's calling card in every review and list it lands on.

Where it stands

A canon climber slotting straight into Chile's remarkable queer-cinema lineage — the 'new essential' from the country that gave us A Fantastic Woman.

★ Did you know? Céspedes drew the film from his own family, who ran a hair salon in the suburbs of Santiago alongside gay men who all died of AIDS — and he cast mostly first-timers, seeing around 300 candidates before picking Tamara Cortés, who had never acted, as Lidia.

Named by the director

Influences Diego Céspedes has publicly named — the director's own word, distinct from the inferred lines of influence.

Raúl Ruiz — Céspedes names the Chilean master as one of his favourites — a filmmaker who 'built from the heart and not from the industry… he kept his soul.'