By José Alberto Hermosillo
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| A House Made of Splinters: And the Shattered Children of Ukraine |
“A House Made of Splinter” is a powerful and moving documentary of extraordinary beauty made in Ukraine before the invasion. It is emotionally devastating.
The documentary follows the lives of several Ukrainian children inside a shelter where they find refuge during the chaos of the outside world.
The chaos in Ukraine occurs within every broken family, impacting the most vulnerable—children.
Things seem to be going smoothly in a children’s refuge in East Ukraine. Outside the facility, people still feel the early signs of war and stay inside their homes. This story takes place a year or two before the Russian invasion and during earlier conflicts.
The facility’s director describes the situation as overwhelming and complicated. The film pairs her caring narration with distant shots of the impoverished Eastern European country. She says, “Life was difficult, but the war worsened things. So many people lost their jobs. Now, every tenth door hides a broken family. When a family is broken due to alcoholism, violence, or homelessness, the social worker brings the children to our shelter.”
The Oscar-nominated docudrama beautifully depicts children actively engaging with their teachers and classmates. However, the children miss their parents and still want to stay in contact, even though they know their parents are alcoholics and cannot be reached. The children experience the joy of friendship, their first love, the heartbreak that follows, loneliness, and the hope that comes with it.
The children speak, in first person, about their experiences with domestic violence and physical abuse, and some have even witnessed the murder of a parent. The unseen chaos of war zones is brought into their homes, causing anxiety, depression, and internal conflicts.
Moving the children from the shelter to an orphanage or foster family is difficult for some, especially if they have siblings still at the center. Breaking up families is always upsetting and emotionally challenging for the young ones.
When grandparents or a mother visit or pick up a child, their joy is overwhelming and unmistakable.
The exceptional camera work by cinematographer and director Simon Lereng Wilmont shows an intimate space where shelter residents can interact naturally. Mr. Wilmont patiently waits for the right moments to capture the children’s most tender and honest moments as they open up with bravery and sincerity.
In “A House Made of Splinters,” each child’s story follows a similar pattern—Sasha, Kolya, Eva, Zhenyia, Kristina, and Polina. Most of them need professional help because it’s heartbreaking to feel that nobody wants them. These memories will stay with them forever. No one deserves to feel unwanted.
When a girl grows up, she can also become a mother, and she might struggle with alcoholism and potentially give up her parents’ rights to a foster family. For Ukrainian children, the future does not look promising.
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| El cuarto desnudo/The Naked Room |
Another profound and analytical documentary on children’s psychology and mental conflicts is “El cuarto desnudo/The Naked Room,” directed by Nuria Ibañez in 2013. It portrays children undergoing psychological evaluation and receiving special treatment in a hospital with bare walls in Mexico City.
“A House Made of Splinters” keeps viewers engaged and wondering about the future of these vulnerable children. They are not necessarily victims of their parents’ actions or their violent environment, but they must still live within their circumstances.
The children need to be loved, and we all must learn to appreciate beauty and vitality, as “hope does last.” The film ends with a lullaby, leaving us feeling heartbroken, helpless, and powerless.
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