Venice Film Festival 2025: Uruguay's “Un cabo suelto” secures historic spot in competition

The film “Un cabo suelto” (“A Loose End”), directed by acclaimed Uruguayan actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker Daniel Hendler, has been officially selected for the 82nd Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica of La Biennale di Venezia. As the world’s oldest film festival, Venice is widely considered one of the most prestigious platforms for international cinema, and Hendler’s work marks the first time a Uruguayan film has ever competed in its official program.

Producer Micaela Solé commented: “Having the opportunity to present our film to the Venice Festival audience fills us with a very special kind of emotion. ‘Un cabo suelto’ is the first Uruguayan film to premiere here, so we feel that it is not only our team arriving at the oldest festival in the world, but also our cinema arriving with us. Río de la Plata cinema, which crosses borders between Uruguay and Argentina, of which we’re part, tells stories of our shared roots from our region to the world.”

With “Un cabo suelto”, Hendler returns to cinema with a distinctive proposal blending atmospheric humor, sharp character work, and a tone critics describe as evoking “the spirit of Kaurismäki transplanted to a Río de la Plata borderland, where instead of vodka, everyone drinks mate.” The film presents a universe populated by indulgent, mischievous characters who move with self-determination, guided by intuition and affection, consolidating the growing international presence of Uruguayan cinema.

The feature stars Sergio Prina (“The Snatch Thief”, “The Owners”), Pilar Gamboa (“The Flower”, “The Future Ahead”), and celebrated Uruguayan musician Alberto Wolf. It is produced by Micaela Solé of Cordón Films (Uruguay) in co-production with Ezequiel Borovinsky of Wanka Cine (Argentina), with additional participation from Jorge Moreno and Luis Collar of Nephilim Producciones.

The film’s path to Venice began with its participation in the San Sebastián Film Festival’s Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum and WIP LATAM section, where it won the Industry Award. Its world premiere at Venice will take place during the festival’s run from August 27 to September 6, 2025, further strengthening the reputation of Río de la Plata cinema as a regional force with global reach.

The film’s synopsis follows Santiago, a corporal in the Argentine police force, who crosses into Uruguay while fleeing fellow officers. Disguised in uniform, he inspects local food stalls for sustenance and attempts to blend into the community. With no money or shelter, but armed with empathy and cunning, he begins to plot a new life, aided by locals and encountering someone he believes may be the love of his life.

The official Venice program will feature press and public screenings of “Un cabo suelto” on September 3 and 4, with Hendler, lead actor Sergio Prina, producer Micaela Solé, and co-producer Ezequiel Borovinsky available for interviews during the festival.