Film Update: A House Made of Splinters

POV’s Digital Curator Anthony Yooshin Kim caught up with A House Made of Splinters filmmaker Simon Lereng Wilmont to provide a window into the making of his film and reflect on the journey since the cameras stopped rolling.

A surprise Academy Award® nominee for Best Documentary Feature this year, A House Made of Splinters is the latest work from internationally lauded director and cinematographer, Simon Lereng Wilmont. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Wilmont graduated as a Documentary Film Director from The National Film School of Denmark in 2009. His first feature documentary, The Distant Barking of Dogs (2017), premiered at IDFA and received critical acclaim, winning the Best First Appearance award and a Peabody Award in 2020. The film amassed over 35 awards worldwide, including the McBaine Documentary Feature Award at San Francisco’s SFFILM Festival, and was nominated for a European Film Award (2018), an Emmy® (2020), and shortlisted for an Academy Award® (2019). Additionally, The Distant Barking of Dogs aired as part of POV’s Season 32.

Wilmont’s filmmaking approach is deeply influenced by cinema verité and draws inspiration from luminaries such as the Maysles Brothers and Frederick Wiseman. He skillfully wields the camera as an instrument to establish genuine connections and foster trust with his protagonists. With A House Made of Splinters, Wilmont delivers a quietly affecting depiction of a children’s shelter near the frontlines in Eastern Ukraine, where dedicated social workers care for displaced children caught amidst the chaos of war. Through his lens, Wilmont crafts a timely portrait of individuals creating a sanctuary from the splinters of their disrupted lives.

Wilmont’s journey with the project began with his previous documentary, The Distant Barking of Dogs. During its filming, he developed a close bond with the main protagonists, Oleg and his grandmother Alexandra, living near the war frontline. Alexandra’s illness prompted Wilmont to ponder on the fate of children like Oleg, left without caregivers in the war-torn region. He explained, “The whole incident made me want to find out, if there were actually kids left without anybody able to take care of them along the frontline, and if so, how many, and what happens to kids in this situation?”

His quest for answers led him to Margarita’s shelter, a place that instantly felt different. He recalls the moment: “Yes, it was small and worn out, but there were kids’ drawings on the walls and carpets on the floors, the younger kids were running around loudly playing and laughing… The whole place just radiated comfort and warmth, and I knew right then and there I had stumbled on something very special and precious.”

While making A House Made of Splinters, Wilmont confronted tremendous challenges, including dealing with the raw emotions of the children and the practical hurdles posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The heart-rending scenes of young lives caught in the crossfire were especially hard to witness, but Wilmont knew his role: “You can’t change anything here and now. You can only be a friend to them, and offer them a bit of comfort, honest hope and a shoulder to cry on.”

The documentary served as a medium for Wilmont to give voice to these children, their narratives often drowned out by the conflict’s noise. He added, “What you can do to help long term is to give these kids a voice by sharing their story, because nobody else is, and change is sorely needed.”

Prior to its official release, Wilmont screened the film for the children, psychologists, city administration, and caregivers. “It was two very emotional and deeply moving days of screenings. We shared a lot of tears, new stories, and laughter, and they were proud of the film,” he recounted. The success of these screenings led to the initiation of a pilot project providing psychologists for the children, ensuring ongoing support for their well-being.

Wilmont also provided an update on the lives of the film’s young protagonists whose paths have diverged significantly since the outbreak of full-scale war. Eva, now living with her uncle in Western Ukraine, escaped the fate of returning to an orphanage. Sasha, whose adoption sadly fell through, resides in a temporary European orphanage. Alina’s connection to the outside world remains sporadic due to the war, but she’s still with her adoptive family.

However, it is Kolya’s story that saw the most dramatic change. Wilmont recounted, “Kolya was sent to the state orphanage, as we witnessed in the movie. His siblings were adopted by one foster family, but, regrettably, there was no room for him. Life was fairly stable until the full-scale war disrupted everything. Kolya, along with Sasha and the other state-care children, was moved west and then further into Europe, causing him to lose contact with his siblings.”

But Kolya’s story took an unexpected and heartening turn in 2023. “He was adopted by a compassionate and resourceful Ukrainian family who saw A House Made of Splinters and decided to seek him out for adoption,” Wilmont revealed. These developments in Kolya’s life was testament to the far-reaching impact of the film, with Wilmont adding that Kolya’s new family pledged to make every effort to help him reconnect with his siblings.

As he continues to receive heartfelt responses from viewers who share similar experiences of growing up in institutions or foster care, Wilmont’s conviction in the transformative power of hope strengthens. He sees this reflected not just in the messages he receives, but also in the lives of the children featured in his film.

“A House Made of Splinters is foremost a story of hope. A fragile, but precious hope that lives in the dedicated and big-hearted caregivers working tirelessly to give the children a better future, but most of all the crucial hope that lives on strong in these children’s incredible ability to survive and find the magic in life, to dare to form close human connections, and reach for the most important things in life despite the tragic circumstances they have been put in.” Wilmont asserts.

A House Made of Splinters premiered on Monday, July 17th and is available to stream through October 15th.