Screening of the film Drzewa milczą with a meeting with the director Agnieszka Zwiefka.
December 6th, 7:45 PM, Kino Nowe Horyzonty
About the film
Drzewa milczą tells the story of Runa, a sixteen-year-old Kurdish girl who, along with her family, fled Iraq to escape ISIS attacks and ended up at the Polish-Belarusian border. After eventually reaching Poland, she faces the heavy cost of safety and asylum. Her mother dies in a hospital due to exhaustion and the harsh conditions of the border forest, and Runa is forced to grow up quickly to care for her four younger brothers and her father, who struggles with the growing difficulties.
The film follows the uncertain fate of the family, who grapple with trauma and the threat of deportation while staying at a refugee camp. The central focus, however, is on the portrait of Runa, an ordinary yet extraordinary teenager. Runa loves drawing, listening to music, and learning Polish, with dreams of studying law. Her escape from daily life is a sketchbook, where she chronicles her story through illustrations, capturing her experiences suspended in time and space. With great maturity, she strives to lead her family into a new chapter of life, bravely facing an uncertain future. Will Runa find peace and a new home for herself and her loved ones?
Drzewa milczą is a creative blend of documentary cinema and animation, featuring sketches drawn by the young protagonist. The film premiered in Poland at the Krakow Film Festival, where it won the main award in the Polish Competition, the Golden Lajkonik, an honorable mention in the International Competition, and for the first time in the festival’s history, a special award for the film’s protagonist, Runa. It has also been showcased at some of the world’s most prestigious documentary film festivals, including CPH:DOX in Denmark and Hot Docs in Canada.
