Born in Medellin in 1986, Simón Mesa Soto studied Audio-Visual Communication at the University of Antioquia. In 2014 he specialized in directing at the London Film School. His end-of-course film, Leidi, won the Golden Palm for the best short film at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014 and at the Chicago International Film Festival in 2015. His next short film, Madre, was once again selected in competition at Cannes in 2016 and won many prizes at festivals all over the world. Amparo is his first feature film, which was presented at the Semaine de la Critique in Cannes in 2021.