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A House Made of Splinters

.
Simon Lereng Wilmont 2022

In this war-worn and impoverished corner of Eastern Ukraine where addiction casts a long shadow, there sits a safe haven for children temporarily removed from their parents.
A House Made of Splinters follows 3 kids awaiting their fate— will they go back or find a new home?— as a group of dedicated social workers create small moments of joy and relief from childhood’s all but lost.
The film offers a unique look into how the long-term consequences of war, on a society already under strain, impacts the most vulnerable, with a poignant and deeply intimate portrait of a remarkable way station filled with care, support, and trust for a group of kids who are in desperate need of more.
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Running Time:
87 min.
Spoken Languages:
Russian, Ukrainian
Subtitles:
English
Directors:
Simon Lereng Wilmont
Producers:
Monica Hellström
Cinematographers:
Simon Lereng Wilmont
Editors:
Michael Aaglund
Production Companies:
Final Cut for Real
Addiction
Children
Family
Personal Story
Society
Ukraine
War

Press

  • VARIETY
    "An affecting diary of life continuing in the worst of circumstances (…). This is a predominantly observational affair, marked by unusual tenderness and human interest"
    Guy Lodge
  • THE NEW YORK TIMES
    “Granted extraordinary access to his subjects, Wilmont proceeds with exemplary tact and sensitivity, weaving a heartbreaking tapestry that also glows with empathy and even shows glimmers of mischief and delight.”
    A.O Scott
  • ROGER EBERT
    “‘A House Made of Splinters' explains how not all casualties appear on the battlefield (...) This is an empathetic lens, one that with its respectful distance never crosses the line of mining tragedy for consumption”
    Robert Daniels
  • SCREEN DAILY
    “These are youngsters who haven’t yet learned to mask their emotions and Wilmont’s camerawork ensures that they fly direct from their faces to our hearts.”
    Amber Wilkinson
  • Harper's BAZAAR
    “Wilmont proves he’s unambiguously earned the trust of his tiny subjects of colossal worries–a feat on so many different levels that concerns both outstanding filmmaking and exemplary humanism”
    Tomris Laffly
  • POV
    “Showcasing a similarly artful, yet respectfully humane approach to observational cinema, he finds the poetry in the home.”
    Pat Mullen

Festival Participation

  • Academy Awards, USA - 2023
    Best Documentary Feature Nominee
  • Sundance Film Festival - 2022
    World Cinema Documentary: Best Directing Winner
  • Gothenburg Film Festival - 2022
    Best Nordic Documentary Winner
  • Thessaloniki Documentary Festival - 2022
    The Golden Alexander + The FIPRESCI Award Winner
  • CPH:DOX - 2022
    Politiken:DOX Award Winner
  • Zagreb Dox - 2022
    Movies that Matter Award Winner
  • DocuDays UA - 2022
  • Visions du Réel - 2022
  • Hotdocs Festival - 2022
  • DOK.fest München - 2022

Additional Materials

Distribution Company

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