A House Made of Splinters

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Fong Kok Hoong F @RT29722865 09/01/2023 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. See more Jona I @RT86387422 08/25/2023 Heart-warming and heartbreaking. Be sure to search for PBS's follow-up article to hear where they are now See more Alan W @PatronWong 02/12/2023 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. See more Read all reviews

A House Made of Splinters

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