Marking the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, Aardman and international children’s charity Save the Children have released a short film to highlight the experience of refugee children around the world.
Although prompted by the outbreak of war in Ukraine, this four-minute animation aims to support the millions of children who have been forced to leave their homes because of violence in countries including Ukraine, Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria.
Inspired by real-life experiences of children that Save the Children works with, Home tells a story about how child refugees feel and what it’s like to be separated from friends, family, and school in a new and unfamiliar setting. It also celebrates the possibilities for children to welcome new refugee friends and learn about different cultures. A poignant tale of displacement, loss, friendship and tolerance, the film reflects the stories of many refugee children.
“When we arrived, I was sad, I was leaving all my friends, my family and my cousins. The language here is different,” shared 11-year-old Siraj who left Syria for Italy.
“We are refugees, but we are proud. We haven’t ended up here because we wanted to, but because we had to. If you have a refugee near you, I think you should try to welcome them,” said another Syrian 12 year old refugee Noura.
“Many refugee children who’ve found a new, safer home, still carry the physical and emotional scars of war, or face daily setbacks simply because of who they are or where they’ve come from. That’s why it’s so important for refugee children to get the welcome – and the childhood – they deserve. We hope this beautiful short film will inspire people to reach out to child refugees, welcome them and help them feel somewhere like ‘home’ again,” said Save the Children conflict & humanitarian campaigns head Alison Griffin.
Created by director Peter Peake, Home will be screened in primary schools across the UK alongside its general release. The short film follows a small orange circle as they arrive at a new school in an entirely purple world, inhabited solely by triangular purple characters. The orange circle immediately feels out of place, struggling with the language barrier and strange new food. But, through a blossoming friendship with a fellow pupil, they begin to feel welcome and accepted.
As that happens, little bursts of orange start to appear in the purple surroundings, elevating the landscape to a richer, warmer and more diverse environment. The film then shows different characters of all shapes and hues that bring their own unique colours to the previously monochrome surroundings, transforming it into a thriving and vibrant world full of energy and colour.
“Animation is an amazing medium for expressing ideas that would otherwise be difficult to communicate. At Aardman we believed that we had the expertise to help tell these stories in a way that would be sensitive, accessible and relatable for children all around the world. It was also vital that the film we created would share the right messages, address a genuine need and help as many children as possible. We approached Save the Children to help us with these aspects, and to keep us on the right track,” said Aardman co-founder and creative director Peter Lord CBE.
“Our film was created as a specific response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, but it aims to help all children displaced from their homes due to war, famine and persecution,” said the film’s director Peter Peake. “Working with Save the Children, we learnt what difficulties children face when trying to settle in a new country. Ultimately, we hope the film encourages children everywhere to empathise with some of their peers who might be going through that experience and to know the impact they can have by making someone feel welcome.”
The story of Home is told without using dialogue, which means its message is accessible to children and adults of all ages, everywhere.
All over the world, children’s lives are at risk as conflicts persist. For almost every single second of the war in Ukraine, a child has become a refugee. Save the Children’s Emergency Fund allows them to respond to disasters around the world immediately. One can visit Aardman website for supporting this vital work.