"A House Made of Splinters" is not the type of documentary I usually enjoy watching. But it's still interesting, and the topic couldn't be more timely after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This is a story about an orphanage in eastern Ukraine, which has been devastated by war since 2014. The film follows several children and their hardships; the protagonists are all sympathetic. Even though there are some happy moments, you shouldn't expect too many glimmers of hope due to the setting. In the end, nothing is sugarcoated here. After all, most of the children don't have any prospects for a better life, even if there might still be some hope.

This documentary is definitely worth watching because of the fascinating subject matter. Personally, however, I found it lacking a central narrative thread that better connected the individual moments. Also, on a visual level, it's not exactly one of the best documentaries I've seen so far. Everything is competently filmed, nothing more. However, I would still give the film a modest recommendation, if only because the children really deserve that you learn about their situation.