In just under thirty minutes, IZIDOR manages to stir the soul, break your heart, and gently piece it back together again.

This beautifully crafted short film by David Kabe tells the true-life story of Izidor Ruckel, who spent the first eight years of his childhood hidden away in a Romanian asylum for disabled children banished from society and labelled “defective” under Nicolae Ceaușescu’s harsh communist regime.

Set in 1988 Romania, the film sheds light on a dark chapter in history that many of us still know very little about. For nearly 24 years, families were pressured to produce at least five children in service of the state, and those born with disabilities were often discarded and locked away in state institutions under harsh conditions. It wasn’t until after the fall of the regime in 1989 that the truth of these children’s suffering reached the outside world.

At the heart of IZIDOR is a quiet but powerful act of rebellion. A nanny working at one of these hidden institutions decides to take eight-year-old Izidor outside for the very first time. Her decision is as brave as it is tender, and what follows is a moving exploration of the innocence of childhood clashing with the cruelty of institutionalized neglect. The film does a beautiful job of showing the little joys Izidor experiences. Simple things like sunlight, laughter, the sound of birds and freshly plucked fruits bring him so much joy and hope yet he cannot shake off the threat of being discovered and punished. This highlights how fragile freedom can be when it’s something that you have to fight for.

Kabbe deploys a mixed-media format approach blending live action with animation to make this film. The choice is bold and seamlessly done. The film opens with animation, capturing the surreal and almost dreamlike quality of Izidor’s inner world. Then it transitions to live action, grounding us in the stark reality of his environment, only to return again to animation. This fluid back-and-forth not only enhances the emotional storytelling but also paints a clear visual contrast between confinement and liberation, fear and hope that exists in a child’s troubled mind.

The performances are subtle but strong, especially in portraying the connection between Izidor and his nanny. The instant bond they form is what breathes life into the film. The nanny’s action suggests the empathy and bravery that is required of us all to be supportive and caring of children and their needs.

What IZIDOR offers is more than just a glimpse into a tragic history. It is a mirror that reflects our shared responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among us. Without a doubt, it is a film made with the right intentions. But it is also very well done and manages to illicit all the right emotions that it intends to. Do well to give it a chance.

It is a strong call to action for the support of all orphaned and neglected children. A strong call that we all must head.