‘Elephants in the Fog’ Was Never About the Elephants

Are elephants predators or protectors? In mythology, elephants represent divinity, wisdom, and good fortune. Yet, the residents of one Nepali village nestled near a forest believe wild elephants are out to destroy them. They have nightly patrols, joined by a member of the Kinnar, or third gender, community. They even put up an electric fence to keep elephants out. Forests are viewed as dangerous, because that’s where the elephants roam. But what if the villages are entirely wrong?

Abinash Bikram Shah’s Elephants in the Fog — which just became the first Nepali film to win the esteemed Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at Cannes — aims to question what you think you know, through the eyes of its powerful protagonist. Pirati (a riveting Pushpa Thing Lama) is a matriarch who oversees a pod, or family, of three younger Kinnar women. She’s known for her healing powers and wisdom, but is also looked down upon for falling in love with a man. When a member of her family goes missing, she risks it all — love, social standing, “propriety” — to find her. Through that journey, Pirati learns something far deeper than she ever imagined.