Video room: Fragments of Home

Director’s introduction
My grandfather came to the Netherlands as a child refugee from Hungary. He carried that experience with him throughout his life and told us about it. The Cold War, therefore, felt close to our family. How happy he was (and we with him) when the Soviet rule of Hungary ended. Now, with the war between
russia and Ukraine, all those feelings come back. Yet again, a devastating war in Europe. 'Fragments of Home' is inspired by my conversations with my
grandfather and the stories of Ukrainian refugees.

I found it important to make an uplifting film, even - or especially - in these circumstances. An English and a Ukrainian woman develop an unlikely connection through empathy for unimaginable experiences. I wanted the viewer to get to get to know someone on the street, a stranger, whose world is completely unknown to you. And to feel the developing connection and growing empathy between the two women.
I had the privilege to work with two outstanding actors on this film, Milena Kompaniiets and Lucy Brownhill. At the outset, I was uncertain how to find a Ukrainian actor in the Netherlands. You can't imagine my excitement when I saw Milena in a play in a theater! We were stunned to find that many details in
the story turned out to coincide with Milena's experiences. It is evident that both Milena and Lucy infused their performances with very personal experiences.