Experiencing Interruptions?

Children Without a Voice

In “Children Without a Voice,” a refugee child is entrapped in a deep sleep. She is a victim of Resignation Syndrome, a disease that has afflicted over two hundred refugee children in Sweden. These refugee children fall into an unresponsive, coma-like physical state for months—or in some cases years—when their families are denied asylum and face deportation. The children emerge from their trauma-induced condition only when they understand that their families are safe and have gained permanent residence in Sweden.

“Children Without a Voice” was created for and screened during a live performance of Ravel's Apothéose: Le Jardin féerique (Apotheosis: The Fairy Garden) by the Louisville Orchestra in January of 2019. Ravel composed “The Fairy Garden” to express the moment in Sleeping Beauty when the princess awakens from her one-hundred-year slumber.

  • Ron Schildknecht
    Director
  • Ron Schildknecht
    Writer
  • Ron Schildknecht
    Producer
  • Carmen Tate
    Key Cast
    "Sleeping Beauty"
  • Julie Leskiv
    Key Cast
    "Mother"
  • Joey Arena
    Key Cast
    "Father"
  • Roman Tate
    Key Cast
    "Brother"
  • Meghan Glasper
    Production Designer
  • Flora Schildknecht
    Assistant Production Designer
  • Hannah Goodwin
    Assistant Director
  • Paul Perez
    Camera
  • Ron Schildknecht
    Camera
  • Ron Schildknecht
    Editing
  • Matt Goodlet
    Makeup
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 21, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.85:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Art + Music: Louisville Orchestra Performance with the Kentucky College of Art + Design
    Louisville
    United States
    January 26, 2019
    Premiere
Director Biography - Ron Schildknecht

Ron Schildknecht is an independent filmmaker, screenwriter and instructor working in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Working in both dramatic and documentary form, his body of his work often explores local history and culture. His film have received awards at numerous film festivals across the country and on public television.

Ron recently presented his multi-channel film exhibition, Fragments of a German American Mind: The Films of Konrad Mueller, at the 849 Gallery at Kentucky College of Art & Design at Spalding University. He is a two-time recipient of the Al Smith Fellowship in Media Arts from the Kentucky Arts Council and received his MFA in Writing from Spalding University in 2012.

Ron has taught at the University of Louisville, Bluegrass Community & Technical College, Louisville Visual Art Association, Governor’s School for the Arts, Speed Art Museum and the Moving Image Academy. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Digital Media at Spalding University, where he also teaches screenwriting for Spalding’s BFA in Creative Writing program and film production for the MFA in Writing program.

He also produced feature presentations for the Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Memorial Planetarium and education videos for the University of Louisville.

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