When I Hear the Birds Sing

What have you been through? How is it now? And what would you like to be when you grow up? Norwegian filmmaker Trine Vallevik Håbjørg puts these questions to five children from the Ivory Coast who, following the outbreak of war there, now live in a refugee camp in neighboring Liberia. The conversations are presented in animations, as are the terrible things the kids have been through. Mahan, Audrey, Tai, Julianna and Enock talk about the loved ones they have lost and how they had to flee, leaving everything behind. Their memories are incredibly burdensome, but the colorful images and playful lines bring some relief. When Enock hears birds, he always thinks of the birds he heard when he was at home, playing soccer with his friends. Some day, they want to be a pro soccer player, a doctor, a school principal or the president. Here in the UNHCR camp, they are safe and it’s possible to be cheerful and play games. According to Tai, it’s a place where his heart can rest.