A House Made Of Splinters

SYNOPSIS

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, while the state authorities and courts decide the fate of children and families. Filmmaker Simon Lereng Wilmont returns with a follow-up to his acclaimed first feature, The Distant Barking of Dogs, a poignant and deeply intimate portrait, offering a unique look into how the long-term consequences of war on a society already under strain impacts the most vulnerable.

87 minutes

2022

Denmark/ Finland/ Sweden/ Ukraine

Ukrainian and Russian with Arabic subtitles

Simon Lereng Wilmont

Director/Cinematographer: Simon Lereng Wilmont

Producer: Monica Hellström

Company of production: Final Cut for Real
Editor: Michael Aaglund

Sound: Heikki Kossi, Pietu Korhorhonen, Peter Albrectsen, and Sune Kaarsberg

Composer: Uno Helmersson
Awards:

Sundance Film Festival 2022 -World Cinema Documentary: Best Directing
Gothenburg Film Festival 2022 - Best Nordic Documentary
Thessaloniki Documentary Festival 2022 - The Golden Alexander + The FIPRESCI Award
CPH:DOX 2022 - Politiken:DOX Award
ZagrebDox 2022 - Movies that Matter Award

Simon Lereng Wilmont

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Simon holds a BA in Japanese, with modules in film and visual anthropology. He studied documentary film directing at The National Film School of Denmark, graduating in 2009. His films are mostly focused on children and young people, and all tell the stories of his young protagonists with great intimacy and sensibility. In 2017, his first feature documentary, The Distant Barking of Dogs, premiered at IDFA, which won several awards worldwide and received high critical acclaim. In 2022, he directed A House Made of Splinters, which won the Best Directing Award at Sundance.