THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though ‘Despite the Fog’ by Goran Paskaljevic is a film that primarily addresses the issues faced by refugees in Italy, it ends up delving into the details of the mental health of a woman who lost her son and fell into depression. However, it cannot be said that the state of refugees is not addressed.
The couple, Paolo and Valeria, after they take in the orphan refugee boy Muhammed, is faced with backlash from neighbours.
Even from Valeria, there are unconscious reflections of her prejudice against refugees while she deals with Muhammed as a loving mother. She also unconsciously tries to make Muhammed a replacement for her son Marco who is no more. It is so obvious that in the end the eight-year-boy ends up shouting that he is not Marco but Mohammed. With a rather open ending, the movie leaves a lot to the imagination.
If Valeria’s mental health was addressed with more importance in the beginning, the ending might not have left viewers puzzled. Clarity on the subjects dealt with is lacking. Technically, the movie is sound.
The most impressive thing about the movie is how the director managed to convey the prejudice existing in society through a few words. The prejudice is evident from the frowns on a few faces when Paolo’s brother tries to apologise to him for his son Pietro’s prejudiced actions.