Quiet Life, directed by Greek filmmaker Alexandros Avranas, made a powerful impact at the Venice Film Festival on August 29, sparking intense discussions and becoming one of the standout screenings of the event. The film delves into the complex realities faced by a Russian immigrant family navigating the harsh and often dehumanizing asylum process in Sweden.
The story follows a Russian couple, Natalia (Chulpan Khamatova) and Sergei (Grigory Dobrygin), who flee Russia after Sergei’s involvement in dissident activities puts their lives in peril. Along with their daughters, Katya and Alina, they seek refuge in Sweden, hoping for safety and a better future. However, their dreams of starting anew are quickly shattered by the bureaucratic system that dominates the asylum process.
Rather than finding compassion and understanding, the family is met with a cold and impersonal system more concerned with red tape than the well-being of individuals. Their struggle to navigate this indifferent bureaucracy becomes a central theme in the film, exploring how institutions often fail to recognize the human stories behind the paperwork.
The family’s already fragile situation worsens when their youngest daughter, Katya, falls into a catatonic state. Her condition, which comes to be known as “resignation syndrome,” has been linked to the extreme psychological toll placed on children and families caught in the limbo of the asylum process. This phenomenon, where children fall into a deep, unresponsive state, has raised alarm and provoked debates about Sweden’s asylum policies, especially regarding the emotional and mental health impact on young immigrants.
Quiet Life offers a poignant and thought-provoking commentary on the immigrant experience, highlighting the emotional cost of fleeing persecution and the often-heartbreaking consequences of a system designed to protect, yet fails to offer genuine refuge. The film’s portrayal of Katya’s plight brings attention to the human toll of bureaucratic indifference, making it a significant conversation starter at the festival and beyond.
Quiet Life is deeply rooted in real-world events and personal experiences that inspired director Alexandros Avranas to explore the trauma of displacement and the devastating psychological toll of seeking asylum. The genesis of the film began after Avranas read a 2017 article in The New Yorker about a strange and alarming syndrome that had affected hundreds of immigrant children from Russia and the former Yugoslavia in Sweden since the early 2000s. This syndrome, known as resignation syndrome, is a psychological condition in which children fall into a catatonic state, often after experiencing intense trauma or persecution.
Studies suggest that resignation syndrome primarily affects children who have been subjected to extreme experiences, such as fleeing from violence or facing persecution. The fear of being deported back to their countries of origin triggers the syndrome as a defense mechanism against the trauma. In Sweden, where many immigrant children were affected by this condition, it was officially recognized as a pathology in 2014. Remarkably, the children typically recover once their families are granted asylum, symbolizing the importance of safety and stability in healing.
The concept of resignation syndrome became central to Quiet Life, offering a lens through which Avranas could explore the psychological effects of forced migration and the systemic failures faced by immigrant families in their quest for asylum. Although the film’s production began in 2018, long before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the themes of displacement and human suffering resonated even more strongly as world events unfolded. Avranas pointed out that, while Quiet Life was not directly inspired by contemporary political events, there were unmistakable parallels with the realities that would soon dominate global headlines.
Avranas was particularly moved by a set of United Nations documents detailing severe human rights violations in Russia, which included censorship, restrictions on freedom of speech, and a list of thousands of banned books, including works by Plato. These documents profoundly impacted him, especially given his admiration for Russian culture, literature, and people. The filmmaker felt compelled to address the human cost of a regime that stifled free thought, which directly influenced the creation of Quiet Life.
The script for the film evolved over several years, and like many productions, it faced significant delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By the time filming began, the world had changed drastically, with the outbreak of war in Ukraine making the film’s exploration of displacement and the psychological scars of war feel eerily prescient. Avranas reflected that while the film was not intended as a commentary on the recent political upheavals, its themes of fear, loss, and the struggle for survival had become even more relevant in the context of the war and the resulting refugee crisis.
One particularly powerful moment in Quiet Life involves Sergei, the father, revealing a large scar on his stomach, a visible reminder of the danger he faced in Russia due to his dissident activities. This moment is rooted in reality. Avranas had based Sergei’s character on a real-life individual: a Russian university professor who had been targeted by the authorities for his efforts to promote independent thought and fearless education. The professor had been subjected to threats and violence for his beliefs, much like Sergei in the film.
When it came to casting the film, Avranas sought actors who could embody the emotional complexity of the characters. Grigory Dobrygin, who portrayed Sergei, was particularly compelling to Avranas due to his ability to convey the anger, fear, and guilt that Sergei experiences after surviving a murder attempt. For the role of Natalia, Avranas approached Chulpan Khamatova, a Russian actress known for her roles in Goodbye, Lenin! and Paper Soldier. Khamatova, who had been living in exile in Latvia since 2022, felt an immediate connection to the character of Natalia.
Khamatova revealed that when she received the script in April 2022, she was going through a personal crisis. Having left Russia just before the invasion of Ukraine, she was deeply affected by the turmoil in her own life, as well as the psychological impact of being displaced from her home country. The syndrome described in the film resonated with her on a deeply personal level, particularly as she thought about her own children and the emotional challenges they were facing as part of a family in exile.
Through Quiet Life, Avranas crafts a poignant narrative about the universal human experience of displacement and the toll it takes on the psyche. The film’s exploration of resignation syndrome serves as a metaphor for the emotional and mental collapse that often accompanies the trauma of forced migration and the fight for survival. It is a story that resonates with audiences worldwide, highlighting the human cost of political conflict, bureaucracy, and the search for refuge.
In Quiet Life, the dynamics of power and survival within a displaced family are poignantly illustrated. The authorities pressure the immigrants, and, in turn, the family—desperate for asylum—applies similar tactics. They attempt to manipulate the situation, using their children as emotional leverage to evoke pity from the authorities and social services. The film explores how the immigrants, in their efforts to survive within a system that seems indifferent to their plight, adopt behaviors similar to those they are trying to escape. Chulpan Khamatova, who plays Natalia, reflects on this dark irony, noting that the family, despite their best intentions, begins to replicate the very system they fled. They use their daughters as a tool to gain the compassion of those in power, but they recognize the danger of this manipulation and stop before it completely consumes them. It’s a powerful metaphor for how systems of control can inadvertently corrupt individuals, even those who seek to break free from them.
Khamatova, who herself has lived in exile since 2022, draws deep personal connections to the themes of the film. In an interview, she shared how her life has unfolded since her decision to leave Russia. “I don’t see any creativity or career continuation for me at the moment. I live one day at a time, deciding as projects come in,” she said. The decision to leave Russia, which she made in the spring of 2022 just before the start of the war in Ukraine, was a monumental one. “It was the most difficult decision of my life. I had to instantly give up all titles and awards and start over,” she reflected.
Yet, Khamatova also found a sense of personal growth and resilience in her exile. “Interestingly, I’ve discovered that you can expand your horizons in a relatively short time. For example, I learned Latvian in a year and even started performing in it,” she explained. This journey of reinvention is a testament to her strength and adaptability in the face of hardship.
For Khamatova, making Quiet Life was a form of catharsis. “Making this film was a little bit like a psychoanalysis for me,” she admitted. The themes of exile, dislocation, and the psychological scars of living in a foreign land were still raw for her when the film was shot. The ongoing news of the war in Ukraine and the distressing situation in Russia weighed heavily on her during the production. She spoke of receiving troubling news from Russia and constantly wondering about the fate of her friends back home. One of the most painful pieces of news came when her close friend, Yevgenia Berkovich, a young theater director, was sentenced to six years in prison for writing anti-war poetry. “She just wrote some anti-war poetry,” Khamatova said, her voice heavy with emotion. “Innocent and talented people like Yevgenia are in prison. The Russian government has destroyed her life and the lives of her adopted children.”
Khamatova’s passion for raising awareness about the situation in Russia is evident. “It’s important for the world to be aware of what’s happening in Russia,” she emphasized. The reality of repression, the silencing of dissent, and the imprisonment of intellectuals and artists are central to her advocacy. Quiet Life becomes, in this context, not only a film about a family seeking asylum but also a powerful commentary on the cost of freedom and the destruction of lives by oppressive regimes. The film, and Khamatova’s personal story, serve as a reminder that the human cost of political conflict extends far beyond the borders of any single nation.
Avranas’ Quiet Life is a profound meditation on displacement, identity, and the search for peace in a world increasingly defined by conflict and systemic apathy. The title, “Quiet Life,” stands in stark contrast to the protagonists’ chaotic, relentless journey. The couple’s pursuit of safety and stability seems to pull them into an endless cycle of bureaucratic obstacles and personal trauma. The more they search for peace, the more elusive it becomes, painting a poignant picture of the struggles many face when forced to flee their homes, whether due to political oppression, war, or systemic injustice.
Avranas draws direct parallels to the ongoing refugee crises in Europe. “In Europe today, thousands of Ukrainian refugees are trying to rebuild their lives from scratch in a new culture, with a new language, new schools, and new friends,” he observed. This profound transformation, he notes, is far from easy. The same applies to the one million Russians who have fled their country in recent years, all seeking to start anew in foreign lands, often with little more than the clothes on their backs and the scars of their pasts. Avranas emphasizes the urgency and difficulty of rebuilding lives from zero in a new society—a reality that is deeply concerning, especially when one considers the wider global refugee crisis.
At its core, Quiet Life poses a question that resonates beyond its plot: What kind of world are we leaving for future generations? As the film explores, both democratic and autocratic systems can undermine individual freedoms and identity, often without regard for the human lives caught in the middle. In a world where the structures of power are constantly shifting and affecting the most vulnerable, what is the solution to ensuring that human dignity is protected?
Avranas believes that the answer lies in the human factor. “In any situation, some individuals can show compassion, regardless of the system,” he said. What truly matters, according to him, is the type of person one encounters in such a situation—whether they are part of a society that values individual rights or not. The compassion shown by individuals, regardless of political or social systems, is what can make a real difference in the lives of those who are suffering. It’s a call for empathy and human connection in times of crisis, a plea to remember that, beyond political ideologies, the shared human experience remains the most powerful force for healing and change.
Quiet Life is not just a film about the struggles of one family but a larger commentary on the global human condition, urging us to reflect on the systems we create and how they affect those who are least able to defend themselves. The question remains: in a world increasingly fractured by power dynamics, will we choose compassion over indifference?
Courtesy: IONCINEMA
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