Wars and geopolitical conflicts always leave a residue that shatters humanity. Whether through the wounds felt directly by the victims, or the deep sorrow of inhumane policies. That grief stretches deep into the recesses of the weary eyes behind the glasses of Runa, a 16-year-old Kurdish refugee girl trapped with her family in a cold pine forest on the border of Belarus and Poland. She is the heroine of Silent Trees (Agnieszka Zwiefka, 2024).
The geopolitical conflict involving Belarus under the leadership of authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko and EU countries, particularly its neighbors, has had a major impact on refugees and asylum seekers from the Middle East. Earlier, in 2021, Lukashenko opened new migration routes by issuing tourist visas to refugees and promising them access to Europe through the forest. Politically, he encouraged refugees and asylum seekers to flock to Europe. However, the conflict that followed Lukashenko’s inauguration as president and the Russia-Ukraine war led Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland to close their borders. This policy was also a result of previous allegations that Russian soldiers entered Ukraine through the Belarusian border.
The closing of the border to Belarus by Poland created a precarious and ironic situation. Under the pretext of stemming Russian aggression, the closure of the Belarusian-Polish border resulted in dozens of migrants being trapped in a cold and marshy forest area, including Runa and her family. They struggled to survive and escape from this desperate predicament. The cold and marshy forests have made it impossible for the refugees to find asylum. Even the hope of opening their eyes after closing them seemed impossible. That’s what happened to Runa’s mother and the baby in her womb—they were never able to return home because they were exposed to acute hypothermia and breathed their last.
Losing her mother forced Runa to take a big leap in her life. She had to mature prematurely and take on her mother’s role in caring for her four younger brothers. She also had to assist her depressed father to rebuild their family and obtain asylum in Poland.
Zwiefka, as the writer and director, truly mediates the unheard voices and unseen events. Through Silent Trees (2024), he tells the story of Runa and her family in each subtle recording. Voice recordings of pleas for help, video footage at the border, fragments of news and government announcements, even the details of Runa’s father’s conversation with her parents via cellphone; everything becomes a valuable journey marker. Zwiefka does not seem to want to interrupt the subjects’ emotions at all through the captured images. Together with cinematographer Kacper Czubak, they tried to capture the moments as detailed as possible, such as the portrait of Runa’s father, who could not contain his sadness inside the car, illuminated only by the light of his cellphone.
However, ethically, they chose not to film the subtle moments and chose to film through the gap of an open door. To bridge that emotional distance, Yellow Tapir Films took on an important role. The abstract and black-and-white animation sequence stretches out sounds and shadows that are not captured through camera footage. The black images of trees that move and shape-shift are representations of the traumas and shadows that haunt Runa; and it is in the silent tree trunks that fear is created and memory is attached.
Runa is one of many survivors who experienced the human tragedy of absurd geopolitical policies. This 84-minute documentary opens a space for our understanding of the conditions faced by Middle Eastern refugees and asylum seekers in Europe. This kind of conflict may feel closer to home. You can follow and feel the bitterness of Runa and her family’s struggle in Silent Trees (2024), which will be screened under International Feature-Length Competition FFD 2024. (Ahmad Radhitya Alam) (Ed. Vanis) (Trans. Naufal Shabri)
Film Details
Silent Trees (Drzewa Milcza)
Agnieszka Zwiefka | 84 Min | 2024 | Denmark, Germany, Poland
In Competition for International Feature-Length
Festival Film Dokumenter 2024
Screening Schedule
Nov. 2 | 19:00 WIB | Ruang Seminar, TBY
Nov. 5 | 19:00 WIB | Militaire Societeit, TBY
