“Waking Up in Silence”, dir. Mila Zhluktenko, Daniel Asadi Faezi, Germany, Ukraine 2023, 18 min, 12+

Primary Schools: Grades VII–VIII, Secondary Schools: Grades I–IV

ECFA Award at the LET’S DOC 2023 Festival

Former German military base barracks buildings are bathed in sunlight. They house families forced to flee from war in Ukraine. Children ride bikes, weave wreaths in meadows full of wildflowers, and explore empty rooms and corridors. In their backyard games, they discover military symbols from the past and connect them with their own experiences. They write on sidewalks with chalk: “Putin, stop killing people.”

Themes in the film: war in Ukraine, children of war

“Two Houses of Jasmin”, dir. Inka Achté, Hanna Karppinen, Finland 2022, 14 min, 12+

Primary Schools: Grades VII–VIII, Secondary Schools: Grades I–IV

Jasmin stares with wonder at the laptop screen she uses to talk to her father in distant Somaliland. She asks him if there are hedgehogs there – an important question because soon she, her brother, and sisters will live there. Her father once fled war in his native Somaliland. He found a second home in Finland, where four of his children were born. But he missed Somaliland and was tired of racism in Helsinki, so he decided to return with his family. This life-changing process is shown from Jasmin’s perspective, a lively girl who must bid farewell to everything she knows. How will she find herself in her new home?

Themes in the film: migration, identity, relationships

“We Have One Heart”, dir. Katarzyna Warzecha, Poland 2020, 11 min, 12+

Primary Schools: Grades VII–VIII, Secondary Schools: Grades I–IV

When Adam’s mother dies, he discovers correspondence between his parents – his Polish mother who raised him and his father, a Kurdish Iraqi he never met. Through animations and archival materials, he embarks on a journey to uncover a family secret, learn about an extraordinary love story, and discover the truth about his father.

Themes in the film: family, ancestors, grandparents, bonds, origins, mystery, political and economic immigrants