Movie of the Day: Quiet Life (2024) by Alexandros Avranas

Link to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/fr/film/quiet-life-2025 (France)

Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33030320/

Link Review: https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/466207/

About movie: https://www.asteriskfilm.gr/production/9

https://filmivast.se/portfolio-items/apathy/

https://www.wildbunch-germany.de/movie/quiet-life

Detailed Summary

"Quiet Life" centers on a Russian refugee family in Sweden. Sergei and Natalia, along with their two daughters, face immense trauma when their asylum application is denied. The weight of this decision particularly affects their youngest daughter, Katja, who collapses into an unexplained coma, a condition diagnosed as child resignation syndrome. The parents grapple with despair and struggle to find a cure for Katja while navigating the cold and bureaucratic asylum process in Sweden. The film takes a restrained and clinical approach, highlighting the systematic stripping of humanity and hope from the family. Avranas employs a minimalist storytelling style with sparse dialogue, stark compositions, and an almost complete absence of music to create a tense and emotionally charged atmosphere, critiquing a rigid and impersonal system that treats vulnerable people with suspicion.

Plot Summary

A Russian refugee family seeking asylum in Sweden faces their worst nightmare when their application is denied, leading their youngest daughter to fall into a coma due to resignation syndrome. The parents desperately seek a cure and try to maintain hope in the face of a dehumanizing bureaucratic process.

Director's Vision

Alexandros Avranas aimed to shed light on the experiences of millions of children displaced by war, poverty, and political repression. His vision was to explore how parents can provide protection and stability for their children when faced with an overwhelmingly pessimistic reality. He employs precise compositions, carefully arranged environments devoid of personality, and a lack of music to underline the rigid and impersonal nature of the Swedish asylum process, highlighting its hostility and suspicion towards vulnerable individuals.

Themes

• Trauma and its Impact on Families: The film depicts the devastating psychological effects of displacement and the denial of asylum on a refugee family.

• Child Resignation Syndrome: The mysterious condition affecting refugee children in Sweden is a central theme, highlighting the extreme psychological withdrawal as a response to overwhelming stress and hopelessness.

• The Dehumanizing Nature of Bureaucracy: The film critiques the cold and impersonal asylum process, portraying it as a system that lacks empathy and treats vulnerable individuals as potential criminals.

• Family Resilience and the Struggle for Hope: Despite the dire circumstances, the parents struggle to maintain hope and find a way to help their daughter.

• Exile and the Search for Safety: The film explores the desperate situation of families forced to flee their homeland and their arduous journey to find a safe haven.

Key Success Factors

• Strong Performances: The performances of Chulpan Khamatova and Grigory Dobrygin as the parents, portraying their desperation and resilience, are crucial to the film's impact.

• Avranas' Distinctive Visual Style: The director's minimalist and austere aesthetic effectively conveys the cold and dehumanizing environment of the asylum process.

• Focus on a Timely and Sensitive Issue: The film brings attention to the real-life phenomenon of resignation syndrome among refugee children.

• Tense and Emotionally Charged Atmosphere: Avranas' masterful use of cinematic tools creates a slow-burning tension that resonates with the audience.

Summary Short

In Sweden, a Russian refugee family faces their worst fear when their asylum application is denied, causing their youngest daughter to fall into a coma due to resignation syndrome, forcing the parents to confront a dehumanizing bureaucratic system in their desperate search for hope.

Awards and Nominations

"Quiet Life" received the following awards and nominations:

• Venice Film Festival 2024: Winner of the Interfilm Award for Promoting Interreligious Dialogue, Nominated for the Venice Horizons Award for Best Film.

• Seville European Film Festival 2024: Nominated for the Giraldillo de Oro for Best Film.

Critics Reception

Critics had varied reactions to "Quiet Life":

• Screen Anarchy: Praised the film for subverting expectations and its tense exploration of the asylum process.

• International Cinephile Society: Gave the film a mixed review, noting that it keeps the audience at arm's length but acknowledges its message about humanity conquering all. Another review from the same site highlighted the film's rigid portrayal of Sweden's asylum process and Avranas' confident direction.

• Keith Loves Movies: Found the film to be a shallow attempt at portraying the experiences of millions of children, stating that its realism and absurdity clash and it lacks a clear identity.

• Cineuropa: Described the film as having an excruciatingly slow pacing and flat acting, questioning the director's focus.

• Rotten Tomatoes: Reports a 50% approval rating based on 8 reviews, with an average rating of 5.7/10.

Reviews

Reviews highlighted both the film's ambition and its shortcomings:

• Screen Anarchy: Commended Avranas for avoiding melodrama and focusing on the quiet desperation of the family.

• International Cinephile Society: Noted the effective use of precise compositions and lack of music to underline the rigid system.

• Cineuropa: Criticized the slow pacing and flat acting as detrimental to the film's impact.

Box Office

Information regarding the box office performance of "Quiet Life (2024)" is limited. IMDb lists a gross worldwide of $114,813, but this might be for a short film with the same title released in 2024. The theatrical performance details for this film are not widely available.

Production

"Quiet Life" is a 99-minute drama directed by Alexandros Avranas, with a screenplay by Stavros Pamballis and Avranas. The film is a co-production involving France (Les Films du Worso), Germany (Senator Film Produktion), Sweden (Fox in the Snow Films), Estonia (Amrion), Greece (Playground and asterisk*), and Finland (Making Movies), with principal photography taking place in Sweden, Estonia, and Finland.

Production Companies

• Les Films du Worso (France)

• Fox in the Snow Films (Sweden)

• Amrion (Estonia)

• Asterisk* (Greece)

• Elle Driver (France - also distributor and sales)

• Faliro House (Greece)

• Film i Väst (Sweden)

• Making Movies (Finland)

• Senator Film Produktion (Germany)

• Arte France Cinema (France - Co-producer)

Sales Companies

Elle Driver (France) is handling the international sales for "Quiet Life."

Distribution Companies

• Elle Driver (France - International)

• TriArt Film (Sweden - Theatrical, 2025)

• Wild Bunch Distribution (France - Theatrical, 2025)

• Wild Bunch Germany (Germany - Theatrical, 2025)

• Lazona (Spain - Theatrical, 2025)

• Klockworx (Japan - Theatrical)

• De Filmfreak (Benelux - Theatrical)

• Imovision (Brazil - Theatrical)

Theatrical Release

The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival on August 29, 2024. It is scheduled for theatrical release in France and Germany in 2025 (distributed by Wild Bunch), in Sweden in 2025 (distributed by TriArt Film), and in Spain on April 4, 2025 (distributed by Lazona).

Why to Recommend This Movie

• Addresses a Critical Social Issue: The film brings attention to the plight of refugee families and the devastating impact of the asylum process.

• Showcases Strong Performances: Chulpan Khamatova and Grigory Dobrygin deliver compelling portrayals of parents facing unimaginable hardship.

• Offers a Distinctive Cinematic Style: Alexandros Avranas' unique directorial approach creates a powerful and unsettling atmosphere.

Why to Watch Movie

• Gain Insight into the Refugee Crisis: The film provides a poignant look at the human cost of seeking asylum.

• Experience a Thought-Provoking Narrative: "Quiet Life" raises important questions about empathy, bureaucracy, and human rights.

• Discover an Acclaimed International Film: The movie has been recognized at prestigious film festivals.

What Movie Trend Film is Following

• Films About Refugee Experiences: "Quiet Life" aligns with a trend of films exploring the complex and often traumatic experiences of refugee families seeking asylum in new countries.

• Social Realist Drama: The film adopts a social realist approach, focusing on the harsh realities faced by marginalized individuals within contemporary society.

What Big Social Trend is Following

• The Global Refugee Crisis: The film reflects the ongoing global crisis of forced displacement and the challenges faced by asylum seekers worldwide.

• Awareness of Resignation Syndrome: By focusing on this condition, the film brings attention to the severe psychological impact of prolonged uncertainty and hopelessness on refugee children.

Final Verdict

"Quiet Life" is a stark and often challenging film that tackles a highly sensitive and timely issue. While its pacing and style may divide audiences, its powerful performances and unflinching portrayal of a refugee family's trauma in the face of bureaucratic indifference make it a thought-provoking and important cinematic work.

Recommendations for Film Makers

• Handle Sensitive Social Issues with Care and Authenticity: Avranas' film demonstrates the importance of approaching complex topics like the refugee crisis with a clear vision and a commitment to portraying the human impact.

• Utilize Cinematic Language to Enhance Thematic Concerns: The film's visual style and lack of music effectively underscore the coldness and impersonality of the system being depicted.

• Consider International Co-productions to Address Global Issues: Collaborating across borders can bring diverse perspectives and resources to stories of international significance.

Recommendations for Movie Industry

• Continue to Support Films that Address Important Social Issues: The movie industry has a role in raising awareness and fostering empathy towards pressing global challenges.

• Provide Platforms for International Voices: Supporting filmmakers from different countries allows for a broader range of stories and perspectives to reach audiences worldwide.

• Recognize the Value of Films that Explore Difficult and Uncomfortable Truths: While not always commercially mainstream, films that tackle challenging subjects can have a significant cultural impact.