VIDEO – HEROIN STARS AS THE VILLAIN –
April 10, 2023 – The loneliness of addiction – and the toll it can take on an individual’s psyche and their relationships – is intimately explored in Paloma Sermon-Daï’s unassuming yet poignant documentary. In his small Belgian village, 43-year-old Damien Samedi has been known as Petit Samedi since childhood, an endearing nickname that bittersweetly reflects his state of arrested development. Having struggled with drug dependency for most of his adult life, Damien attempts to turn over a new leaf with therapy and the support of his mother, Ysma. As Damien speaks about his violent father, Ysma also wonders if, grief-stricken over the death of her sister during her pregnancy, her mental state had contributed to his later turmoil. In spite of these attempts to analyse Damien’s condition, the film also observes the solitary bubble of addiction, which no easy explanations, or even a mother’s unconditional love, can penetrate. The most moving moments show Damien listening to old phone messages, on which his younger self can be heard.
