TALLINN: Colombian-born, Estonian-based director Carlos E. Lesmes is currently in final stages of postproduction with his long documentary Beautiful Stupid Thing, which is an Estonian/Colombian coproduction, backed by the Estonian Film Institute and the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.
After over 13 years apart, Angela and Carlos, mother and son, reunite when she migrates from Colombia to Estonia. What begins as a quest for an imagined ancestor turns into a journey from the pains of the past to the possibilities of the future.
“The film itself is a multi-generational story with universal appeal. By addressing themes of migration, family relationships, and cultural identity, the film invites audiences of all backgrounds to reflect on their own relationship with home, heritage, and the concept of belonging. The project began as a creative experiment exploring roots, belonging, and the shared personal stories that connect us all. Throughout production, it evolved into a deeply personal, intimate narrative driven by the director Carlos E. Lesmes’ own family history, where real-life events organically shaped the course of the filmmaking. To reflect this emotional story, our approach to filming was collaborative and experimental. Filming with a minimal crew allowed us to remain agile and draw inspiration from our diverse locations, spanning Estonia, Colombia, and Spain”, producer Merili Laur told FNE.
Merili Laur and Carlos E. Lesmes are producing through Tin Can (Estonia), in coproduction with Diego Barjas through Altiplano (Colombia). The film is made together with Tallinn University’s in-kind support in terms of technical and room rental.
The total budget of the film is approximately 145,000 EUR.
Production wrapped in the spring of 2024, with shooting taking place across Estonia, Colombia, Spain, Sweden, and Iceland. Along the way, the project was developed as part of the Estonian-Finnish documentary workshop Ice and Fire Docs in 2024.
“We have since presented the film at the East Doc Market and Baltic Sea Docs 2025, where we received the BBPosthouse postproduction award. This coming September, we will present the project once again in the coming-soon section in Riga. We are planning our international festival premiere for early 2027, which will be followed by a festival run and a national cinema release in the spring of 2027 in Estonia, and a theatrical release in Colombia in the autumn of the same year”, Merili Laur also said.
Carlos E. Lesmes is a Colombian film director based in Estonia. He graduated from Universidad Nacional de Colombia in 2010 and from the Baltic Film and Media School (MA) in 2014. He is currently completing a PhD at the Tallinn University, where he also teaches documentary filmmaking. His first long documentary, A Loss of Something Ever Felt, premiered at Hot Docs in 2020. While finishing his second long documentary, he is also developing his first fiction film.
Production Information:
Producer:
Tin Can (Estonia)
Merili Laur: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Carlos E. Lesmes: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Coproducer:
Altiplano (Colombia)
Credits:
Director: Carlos E. Lesmes
DoP’s: Erik Põllumaa, Annika Väljataga, Diego Barajas, Sebastián López Borda
Editors: Tul Paloma Rodríguez, Carlos E. Lesmes
Sound designer: Gabriel Solís
Composer: Ann Reimann, Carlos E. Lesmes, Gabriel Solís
Cast: Angela María López Restrepo, Carlos E. Lesmes
