- Overview
A temporary house for abandoned children near the front line in eastern Ukraine is run by a small group of social workers determined to provide comfort and safety. It may be humble and somewhat run-down, but this house is filled with love and offers up to nine months of refuge to kids whose fate will be determined by the system. During this short time, the caretakers try to nurture within them a sense of stability and normalcy.
- Release Date
09 March 2023
- DirectingSimon Lereng Wilmont
- Budget
$0.00
- Revenue
$0.00
- Stars
Videos
User Reviews
See moreCinemaSerf
21 August 2024
This is quite a touching documentary that follows the lives of some young children who are not orphaned in the traditional sense, but who are subject to ongoing legal proceedings relating to their parents and guardians. For many of these boisterous and confused youngsters, this large hostel is the safest place for them to be - but with many very young and unsettled, the task for the facility's administrators is very much eggshell treading territory. It's set in Ukraine - before Russia invaded, but it could actually quite readily relocate to many places around the world where the traditional family units have long stopped functioning effectively - either as a result of neglect, or tragedy, or just parents who cannot cope with children with special requirements or behavioural difficulties. This institution is not a permanent solution, and as we are introduced to the kids we appreciate that their futures are all pretty fluid. Another orphanage? Adoption? Can siblings stay together? "I just want to go home" is a phrase oft said by boys and girls alike as they struggle to navigate this unwelcome uncertainty. The downside of productions like this, though, is keeping the camera in it's proper (discrete) place. Here, that doesn't really work and frequently the actions and reactions look just a bit too staged. How are you expected to get a genuine reaction from an eight year old when there's a camera crew adjacent? There are scenes of intimacy at which we simply do not belong, let alone need a front row seat for. The skill from the director requires us to see enough, but not everything - and to know when to call an halt to the intrusion of our observations. That skill isn't so evident here. There are some fairly characterful children though, and their professional carers really epitomise just how difficult it is to house and rehouse these lively and rudderless individuals when there is constant pressure on funds, space, time and on themselves. It's certainly worth a watch, but it could have benefitted more from some editorial subtlety and a more judicious sense of what we ought to have seen.
More Like This
Stigma: Raised in Hollywood
When former child star Aaron Schwartz (Mighty Ducks, Heavyweights) returned to the acting world as an adult, he found himself always being asked...
See more
Crimea. As It Was
The film is a story about the officers, soldiers and seamen who did not betray their oath of loyalty to the people of Ukraine and their first hand...
See more
Yo soy Arturo Fernández
A gentle portrait of the mythical Spanish actor Arturo Fernández (1929-2019) in the hour of his passing, in his own words, through his latest...
See more
Maidan
A chronicle of the civil uprising against the regime of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych that took place in Kyiv in the winter of 2013/14. The...
See more
The Long Breakup
Ukrainian journalist Katya Soldak, currently living in New York City and working for Forbes magazine, chronicles Ukraine's history: its strong ties...
See more
Zelenskyy: The Man Who Took on Putin
The rise of the comedian, actor and entertainer who became the improbable wartime leader. Exploring the man behind the series of game changing...
See more
Servant of the people, Zelensky
Are the absolute power and weakness of the state tempting enough to initiate authoritarian rule? This documentary shows Zelensky's success and also...
See more
Anton Tymoshenko - "Out of Politics"
"Out of Politics" is the third solo standap concert by certified political scientist Anton Tymoshenko. The topics he used to be around were...
See more
Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom
A documentary on the unrest in Ukraine during 2013 and 2014, as student demonstrations supporting European integration grew into a violent...
See more
From Russia with Lev
A documentary exploring Lev Parnas' involvement in the Trump-Ukraine scandal that resulted in the former president's impeachment, detailing Parnas'...
See more
Breaking Point: The War for Democracy in Ukraine
BREAKING POINT: The War for Democracy in Ukraine looks at people transformed by a democratic revolution, who give up their normal lives to fight a...
See more
Broken Places
An exploration into why some children are severely damaged by early adversity while others are able to thrive. By revisiting childhood trauma...
See more
Champagne
The true story of a young teenage girl whose mother is incarcerated for murder. Living in a Catholic Children's home run by an order of nuns, she...
See more
I forgive you, Mama
Maya is Ayaibex's daughter, an addict in recovery that feels a blame for damages that caused her daughter, Maya decides to remember her mother's...
See more
Teekay The Salto King
Rapper and breakdancer Teekay from Eindhoven is known for his somersaults and vlogs that are causing a stir. During the corona riots in 2021, he...
See more
Ukraine Is Not a Brothel
Ukraine's topless feminist sensation Femen has created a media frenzy across Europe, but before they take the world by storm, these bold and...
See more
All Things Ablaze
What does the violent heart of revolution feel like? As the anger and hatred glow white hot is there a language its players use to speak to one...
See more