A House Made of Splinters main backdrop
A House Made of Splinters main poster

A House Made of Splinters

Visit website

7.0/10 • 22

2023-03-091h 27m

Documentary

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.

Directors
Simon Lereng Wilmont
Editors
Marion Tuor

Top Billed Cast

View Credits

    Reviews1

    View Reviews
    CinemaSerf Avatar

    CinemaSerf

    Aug 21, 2024

    6/10

    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.

    Media

    • A House Made of Splinters backdrop
    • A House Made of Splinters backdrop
    • A House Made of Splinters backdrop
    • A House Made of Splinters backdrop

    Recommendations

    • Fire of Love main backdrop

      Fire of Love

      7.5

    • Heimaland main backdrop

      Heimaland

      6.0

    • Past Lives main backdrop

      Past Lives

      7.8

    • Fight Club main backdrop

      Fight Club

      8.4

    • Inception main backdrop

      Inception

      8.4

    • Inglourious Basterds main backdrop

      Inglourious Basterds

      8.2

    • Joker main backdrop

      Joker

      8.1

    • The Dark Knight main backdrop

      The Dark Knight

      8.5

    • The Matrix main backdrop

      The Matrix

      8.2

    • Iron Man main backdrop

      Iron Man

      7.6

    • The Truman Show main backdrop

      The Truman Show

      8.1

    • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring main backdrop

      The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

      8.4

    • Zodiac main backdrop

      Zodiac

      7.5

    • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King main backdrop

      The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

      8.5

    • The Godfather main backdrop

      The Godfather

      8.7

    • Pulp Fiction main backdrop

      Pulp Fiction

      8.5

    • Memento main backdrop

      Memento

      8.2

    • The Empire Strikes Back main backdrop

      The Empire Strikes Back

      8.4

    • Forrest Gump main backdrop

      Forrest Gump

      8.5

    • The Grand Budapest Hotel main backdrop

      The Grand Budapest Hotel

      8.0

    Status
    Released
    Original Language
    English
    Budget
    --
    Revenue
    --
    Keywords
    difficult childhoodhome educationukrainian politics