A House Made of Splinters

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A House Made of Splinters

TV-MA

2022

1h 27m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

97%

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39 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

As the war in Eastern Ukraine takes a heavy toll on poor families living near the frontline, a small group of strong-willed social workers work tirelessly in a special kind of orphanage to create an almost magical safe space for kids to live in while the state decide the future fate of the child and family.

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Critics Consensus

Taking a brilliantly unobtrusive approach, A House Made of Splinters uncovers heartbreak and hope while observing the generational effects of war.

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John Anderson

Wall Street Journal

What Mr. Wilmont manages to capture from children -- whom he has made utterly oblivious to his camera -- is close to miraculous.

Jul 14, 2023

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Ty Burr

Ty Burr's Watch List (Substack)

Even as it looks out over these small wrecked lives, the movie holds out hope in the patience and affection of the shelter’s staff and the unquenchable spirit of the children.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 3, 2023

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Nicolas Rapold

New York Times

“A House Made of Splinters” is made with such aching sensitivity that it’s a marvel a camera was used and not some form of mind-meld.

Feb 22, 2023

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Jane Rackham

Radio Times

Director Simon Lereng Wilmont maintains an observational style and eschews commentary as he allows his young participants to discuss their own, often heartbreaking, experiences.

Rated: 4/5

May 9, 2024

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Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality & Practice

A documentary filmed inside a special orphanage in the Ukraine where the children express both sorrow and hope.

Rated: 5/5

May 28, 2023

Full Review

Eileen G'Sell

Hyperallergic

"A House Made of Splinters" bears witness not only to children’s ongoing trauma, but to their enduring ability to seek out and sustain their own support networks.

Mar 27, 2023

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Fong Kok Hoong F

In this Oscar-nominated documentary feature, the cameras haunt a children’s shelter in eastern Ukraine to capture the forbearance of the guardians and with tremendously aching empathy the melancholia of forgotten children whose parents they lost to alcoholism and the bittersweet bonds they form with one another.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/16/23

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Jona I

Heart-warming and heartbreaking. Be sure to search for PBS's follow-up article to hear where they are now

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/25/23

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Allan T

A beautiful well done movie depicting the lives of children in a orphanage in Ukraine who had to be removed from there homes because of alcoholic parents It's a house built of sorrow and hope The workers are angels Should win a award for best documentary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/18/23

Full Review

Alan W

Shot in a more conventional fly-on-the-wall style, the lyrically titled A House Made Of Splinters, is Simon Lereng Wilmont's heartbreaking film about one specific institution in Eastern Ukraine, near the Russian border, before the recent invasion, where children are temporarily homed while the authorities decide if they are allowed to return to their parents or taken into either foster care or an orphanage. Via the emotionally affecting and often traumatic stories of a handful of these damaged children we meet, the film demonstrates how horribly bad alcoholism and parenting mix and the effect it has on the children who will in turn become parents themselves and fall foul to the same demons thus perpetuating the devastating cycle onto the next generation. The thing that stands out most here is the filmmakers' achievement in capturing such natural and unfiltered footage and raw emotions from the children as if the camera wasn't there. A sadder film to watch for sure but it's thoughtfully composed and makes its point succinctly without resorting to sentimentality or emotional blackmail.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

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Simon Lereng Wilmont

Director

Marharyta Burlutska

Self

Anjelika Stolyarova

Self

Olga Tronova

Self

Monica Hellström

Producer

Simon Lereng Wilmont

Photographer

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A House Made of Splinters: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

As the war in Eastern Ukraine takes a heavy toll on poor families living near the frontline, a small group of strong-willed social workers work tirelessly in a special kind of orphanage to create an almost magical safe space for kids to live in while the state decide the future fate of the child and family.

Director: Simon Lereng Wilmont
Producer: Monica Hellström
Distributor: Giant Pictures
Production Co: Final Cut for Real
Rating: TV-MA
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Russian
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 21, 2023
Runtime: 1h 27m

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