Director – Panabarkhoda Rezaee; Presented by Iran Culture House
Venue: India Habitat Centre; 14 June, 2015
Date: 14 June 2015

Iranian film “A Light in the Fog” is a portrayal of a single middle aged woman Rana’s life. Her spouse has gone for war and has not been heard of thereafter. She lives with her ailing handicapped father who repairs lamps for locals. Rana spends her time taking care of her invalid father, doing daily chores and attending to various jobs to keep the kitchen hearth burning. She has suitors but is apparently undecided about finding a new partner.

The film is shot in a hypnotically beautiful surrounding of a snow covered foggy Iranian village. Every frame is a visual delight. In fact it looks like the director is so smitten with nature that to depict its beauty, has woven a minimalistic story around it.

A Light in the Fog has few human characters, but many abstract players. First, nature in this film is eloquent and says something in every shot to the lover of mountains and misty weather. Then, the woman’s regular tasks such as delivering coal, fishing in the swamps, helping her father in repairing the lamps, have a language of their own. Lastly, there are only a handful of dialogues and it is left to silence to do most of the talking. These non human elements are like artists with scripted roles. They ensure that every moment of the film is absorbed.

The film is almost like a real time depiction with every actor fully, but subtly, living up to his/her role. Therefore, how it begins – how it ends – such details become inconsequential. The 76 minutes screen time is a meditative journey through a picturesque experience. At the end, it is left to the audience to form their conclusions only if they so desire. This film is not for the one who is uncomfortable with silence.

We, sitting in the hustle bustle of Delhi, loved the restrained treatment – an abstract painter’s stroke. The screening was held at the Gulmohar conference hall rather than the much larger Stein Auditorium. This made the viewing way more up, close and personal.