A House Made of Splinters (2022) directed by Simon Lereng Wilmont is an intimate and emotionally resonant documentary film about children living in a Ukrainian shelter just prior to the recent Russian invasion. Each child is scarred by trauma: the unbearable loss of their parents due to alcohol, physical punishment, poverty, previous wars, and neglect. From the newly arrived 6-year-old clutching her doll, to the 12-year-old big brother who can’t bear being separated from his little sister, the film captures the joy and sorrow of these young lives as they form connections with one another. Thankfully, the film also profiles the most loving and supportive staff, as the filmmaker trains his camera on the shelter, observing the activities and the interventions, without any outside commentary from experts in the field. Ultimately the film tenderly shines a light on the impact of affectionate care, on the children’s sense of self and of the future, despite the landscape of an extremely harsh reality. Join Reyna Cowan as we watch and read the film together.
Reyna Cowan, PsyD, LCSW, is a psychoanalyst and a child therapist. She is a Personal and Supervising Analyst at PINC, and is faculty at both PINC and at SFCP. She teaches extensively on child and adolescent issues, primitive states, and Winnicott, as well as courses on film and film criticism. She runs a free monthly salon series for PINC linking psychoanalysis to the arts and culture called “Second Fridays.” She has a private practice in Oakland where she works with adults, couples, adolescents, and children.
