Ojo (2019)

US · 23 min · April 19, 2019

• Drama
• Short

Directed by: Farida Rafique

Written by: Diana Abousaleh

"Mal De Ojo" or "Evil Eye" is a widespread superstition in Latin America. The idea behind the superstition is that a look or glare can literally curse or kill someone. When one looks at another with envy, it is believed to inflict injury or bad luck. A common cure is to pass a raw egg over the person (usually a child) to absorb the negative energy. This film tells the story of a former white nationalist, who has to visit his dying mother after years of abandoning his family's beliefs and being branded as a traitor. We go back and forth between present and past-- recalling the day it all went wrong. The story is inspired by the events, which took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, in the summer of 2017, where the group Unites the Right assembled, and protester and activist Heather Heyer died in a car attack.