Before starting my undergraduate film studies, my grandmother gifted me a poetry book called Infinito Azul. The book was written by a Colombian poet and artist, Eliseo Ruiz Suarez, who, as it turns out, I was related to. Whenever I felt homesick, I would open the pages of his book. 

At my grandmother’s wake in Cali, Colombia one year ago, I was drawn to Eliseo without knowing who he was, only to later realize it was his book I’d been returning to for several years. Eliseo is a small, sharp man with an inviting stare, and his wife, Cecilia, is a spunky woman with purple hair, matching lipstick, and the same mischievous smile as my grandmother. We talked for a long time about my grandmother, life, and art. 

Eliseo has been an adventurer and creative spirit throughout his life. His earliest memory of making art dates back to childhood, when he sculpted figures for a nativity scene. Years later, in his young adulthood, his curiosity led him away from home to explore Colombia. In Pinillos, a town along the Magdalena River, he took on a public sculpture project despite having little formal experience. Soon after, he began a business creating and selling religious figures for his community.

Eliseo’s curiosity continued to carry him across Colombia, leading him into a wide range of pursuits: reporting for La Democrata, organizing youth political movements in Tunja, surveying land in El Territorio Vásquez, and founding the town of Orito in the Putumayo region, among many other endeavors.

Eliseo’s home and community church in the town of Orito he founded.

Young Eliseo working on his sculptures.

Years of exploration gave Eliseo a perspective on the vast cultures and circumstances of the Colombian people. Living through some of the most violent and politically tumultuous periods of Colombian history, Eliseo’s empathy manifested in a devotion to his artistic practice, which he describes as “an act of liberation.” After resettling with his family in Cali, Eliseo began experimenting with sculpture and painting, developing his own unique style of egg-shaped people in conversation with the neo-figurative artists in Colombia. 

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Eliseo shared his work at local exhibitions in surrounding universities; however, he did not receive much recognition or market success. Moving on from painting and sculpture, he found refuge in poetry. His book, Infinito Azul, is a collection of poems that follow the formative memories throughout his life and travels, all of which are building blocks in the pursuit of what he describes as a “search for the infinite.”

Despite being 95, Eliseo still has a sharp mind and a young spirit. His body is the only obstacle between his creative soul and his next adventure. We are making this film in an effort to bring the adventure to Eliseo, to help him continue his unending search for the Infinito Azul. In a time of extreme disconnection, violence, and uncertainty, his approach to “life in process” can offer us a refreshing perspective.

The Look and Feel

Rather than a traditional talking-head portrait, Infinito Azul builds a visual language drawn directly from the textures, motifs, and whimsy of Eliseo's artwork.

The film moves between two contrasting registers. Scenes of his everyday life are shot with stillness and care, stabilized tracking and tripod work that honor the intimacy of his space and his slowing physical pace.

In contrast, sequences of his artwork and poetry come alive through macro and probe lenses, a toy microscope, and fluid camera movement: shots that break free of the constraints of Eliseo's space and body, becoming as vast and kinetic as his mind. These sequences are narrated by Eliseo reciting his own poetry, tracing the film's search for the Infinito Azul.

The result is a film with two pulses: the stillness of a body in its final chapter, and the restlessness of a consciousness that never stopped moving.

Fundraising

To make this film possible, our team fronted many of the production costs ourselves, including travel to Colombia and camera rentals. We're now asking our community to help offset those expenses so we can continue making Infinito Azul. Every contribution allows us to move confidently through post-production and toward sharing the finished film.