In the poignant drama “Under the Volcano”, directed by Damian Kocur, a Ukrainian family finds their holiday on Spain's Mount Teide on the Canary Islands becoming a permanent stay. The sudden Russian invasion of their home country plunges the family into uncertainty. As they grapple with their new reality, six-year-old Fedir Pugachov innocently questions about the presence of "snow" - which is actually volcanic ash - on the volcano, highlighting the illusions his parents have to maintain to protect him.
The film primarily revolves around the father Roman and his new wife, Nastya. Initially, their prime worry was about parking their car near the beach on their vacation's last day, oblivious to their imminent, indefinite stay. The eruption of war back home sends shockwaves through the family, exacerbating pre-existing tensions and sending each member into their personal world of coping. While Sofiia, Roman's teenage daughter, connects with friends back in Kyiv, Roman focuses on financial arrangements. Despite their hotel offering them free accommodation and food, they are filled with anxieties as they receive fragmented news from home.
“Under the Volcano” cleverly juxtaposes the family’s distress against a sun-soaked holiday setting. The family frantically checks updates on their phones while a conga line dances merrily around them – a potent symbol of the world oblivious to their tragedy. Further emphasizing this contrast is Sofiia's friendship with Mike, an African immigrant who ekes out a living selling tourist bracelets. Despite the grim reality, moments of levity are sprinkled throughout the movie: a debate about whether Brad Pitt was in “Titanic” leads to a profound realization: that they’ve both seen the same film but perceived different meanings.
Through the movie, Kocur forces the audience to examine the effect of humanitarian crises not just on those involved but the broader global community. Woven into the narrative is a critique of apathy and a call to action, making "Under the Volcano" an emotional exploration of a family's fight for survival, personal relationships, and the immeasurable impact of geopolitics on individual lives.
