Quiet Life

Apathetic children. They don’t talk, move, eat, or drink. They are in a state of unconsciousness, like the deceased.

There are hundreds of cases like this, but they have only occurred in Sweden. These are children of asylum-seeking families who have been diagnosed with what is known as resignation syndrome. The first cases were diagnosed as early as in the 1990s. Before long, “uppgivenhetssyndrom” was added to the Swedish disease classification. Children suffering from the trauma of deportation threats have laid motionless and with their eyes closed for weeks, months, even years. They must be fed through a nasogastric tube.

Directed by the Greek filmmaker Alexandros Avranas, Quiet Life tells the story of a family who fled Russia and sought asylum in Sweden in 2018. When the immigration office rejects their application, the family’s younger daughter, Katja, falls into a coma-like state. For as long as the sick child remains in hospital care, the family is allowed to stay in the country. Then the mysterious illness claims their other daughter as well, causing her to fall into a catatonic state.

In the film, the parents don’t trust the health authorities and decide to bring their children home. Sunk into despair, the family clings to hope by any means they can. Yet the asylum process, ruled by cold bureaucracy, feels like Kafkaesque theatre where survival depends on delivering the story exactly as expected.

Marko Ylitalo (translated by Pauliina Jännes)