Emanuele Crialese's "Terraferma" at once draws attention to refugees from Africa trying to enter Europe across the Mediterranean Sea, braving all manner of dangerous conditions. This has intensified in the past few years, as people flee violence not only in Africa, but also in the Middle East. Millions saw the photo of the Syrian man crying over his dead son on the shore. There can be no doubt that military actions led to increased terrorism, further inflaming these regions. It was especially ironic in Libya, since longtime strongman Moammar Qaddafi had been a bete noire for the US for ages, but then became a US ally in the so-called War on Terrorism (no kidding; he and Condoleezza Rice became good friends), only to see the US overthrow him in 2011.
But the other thing is the current treatment of Latin American refugees in the US. We've seen the footage of children getting torn away from their parents and put in detention cages near the border. Not much different from what Italy's authorities do in this movie.
But anyway, to not get moved by this movie is to not have a soul. The blue expanse of the Mediterranean is as much a character as any of the actors. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
