Silent Trees / Drzewa milczą (Poland, Germany 2024) documentary, 84 min, en subtitles. Directed by Agnieszka Zwiefka, written by Agnieszka Zwiefka

In the midst of one of the world’s biggest refugee crises, many arriving from Middle Eastern countries have been left stranded in the forest bordering Poland and Belarus. After a life-changing accident, 16-year-old Kurdish girl Runa has managed to get to Poland with her family. She must quickly grow up to take care of her 4 younger brothers and her depressed father, who is unable to help. The family deals with trauma in a refugee camp and tries to establish a new life in Poland. Runa’s greatest fear is being forced to return to Iraq, where Kurds face the threat of ISIS. She wants to live like her newfound European friends and become a lawyer. But just as her dream of going back to school comes true, another threat appears:  the threat of deportation. Runa’s escape from everyday problems is a sketchbook filled with drawings that express what she feels. Gradually, her drawings come to life. The film is a partially animated coming of age story in the times of the global refugee crisis.

The film has its world premiere at CPH DOX 2024. It won Best Film Award at Krakow FF 2024 and Best Documentary Award at Giffoni FF 2024 among others.