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Silent Trees

2024 1h 24m Animation Documentary List
Tomatometer 4 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Ratings
Runa, a 16-year-old Kurdish refugee, and her family are stranded in an icy forest in the Belarusian-Polish border, denied entry into either country. The film begins with Runa forced to care for her brothers and helpless father after her pregnant mother dies from the harsh conditions. Confined within a Polish refugee camp, the family grapples with trauma and the challenges of adapting to a new life. Runa finds comfort in drawing, which morphs into animated sequences that capture her dreams and nightmares. A coming-of-age story set against the global refugee crisis, told through a creative fusion of documentary and animation.

Critics Reviews

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Siddhant Adlakha Variety A documentary about harrowing loss and fleeting joy May 15, 2024 Full Review Alex Heeney Seventh Row It’s a moving story, but its adherence to a similar structure as Flee makes it feel like a story we’ve heard. I’m glad to see more and more of these refugee stories. Jul 7, 2024 Full Review Stephen Saito Moveable Fest The story itself isn’t an rare one, but Zwiefka’s treatment is unusually touching as the audience can see what the family does as they choose to make the best of a bad situation without diminishing how difficult it is. May 14, 2024 Full Review Bobby LePire Film Threat Zwiefka directs with a commanding, assured eye and lets all watching understand the inner turmoil of the documentary’s subject. Rated: 9.5/10 May 14, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Runa, a 16-year-old Kurdish refugee, and her family are stranded in an icy forest in the Belarusian-Polish border, denied entry into either country. The film begins with Runa forced to care for her brothers and helpless father after her pregnant mother dies from the harsh conditions. Confined within a Polish refugee camp, the family grapples with trauma and the challenges of adapting to a new life. Runa finds comfort in drawing, which morphs into animated sequences that capture her dreams and nightmares. A coming-of-age story set against the global refugee crisis, told through a creative fusion of documentary and animation.
Director
Agnieszka Zwiefka
Producer
Agnieszka Zwiefka, Zofia Kujawska, Heino Deckert
Screenwriter
Agnieszka Zwiefka
Production Co
Chilli Productions, ma.ja.de Filmproduktions, HBO Max
Genre
Animation, Documentary
Original Language
Kurdish
Runtime
1h 24m