A production of the National Film Board of Canada

Despite their young age, some Quebec schoolchildren have already experienced unspeakable horrors. Like their classmates, they’re learning to read and write, but, as refugees who’ve fled war and violence in their homelands, they must also readjust to normal life. How can these children find meaning again after their very existence was once on hold? How can they integrate into school life given their individual struggles? 

Garine Papazian-Zohrabian, a psychologist specializing in conflict-related trauma, carries the memory of the Armenian genocide and the Lebanese Civil War, which she experienced for 15 years. Today, she trains Quebec schoolteachers to address the psychosocial issues of refugees arriving in their classrooms. Their devastating psychological scars can result in nightmares, violence, depression, antisocial behaviour and muteness. Rather than prematurely diagnosing autism or ADHD, Papazian-Zohrabian advocates a patient, progressive and in-depth approach. Rather than labelling people and prioritizing the use of medication, she recommends trying to understand the situations, needs and suffering behind behavioural problems. She strives to create a bond of trust and offer a sympathetic ear through “talking circles”—spaces that encourage expression and the reconstruction of self-identity. After years of silence, the children gradually recover their voices and experience positive socialization. 

Filmmaker Hélène Magny discreetly observes the children’s gradual adaptation and the work of this inspiring trainer. She examines solutions found by various teachers, along with the resources that emerge. Unspoken Tears pays tribute to the admirable resilience and survival strategies of these “small adults,” whose spirit the bombs and camps have not completely crushed, at a time when it is vital to raise awareness in Western societies of migration-related issues and children’s rights.

One-liner
This powerful documentary explores the psychological scars of war and highlights the importance of understanding in successfully integrating refugee children into Quebec’s schools.  

Two-liner
How can refugee children integrate into Quebec’s school system, given the unspeakable violence they’ve experienced? Following a psychologist specializing in conflict-related trauma, Unspoken Tears pays tribute to the admirable resilience and survival strategies of these “small adults,” whose spirit the bombs and camps have not completely crushed, at a time when it is vital to raise awareness in Western societies of migration-related issues and children’s rights.

The plight of refugees fleeing wars around the world continues to make headlines. Huge population displacements from Syria, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and, more recently, Ukraine, have struck a chord. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, by the end of 2020, more than 80 million people around the world had been forced from their homes worldwide due to persecution, conflict and human rights violations. Among them, 40 percent were children; less than a third of young refugees enrolled in primary school go on to secondary school.  

Canada is directly affected by the issue of child refugees. Before the pandemic, between 2014 and 2019, the number of asylum seekers almost quintupled, from 13,000 to 64,000 people in just five years. How can we help these exiled populations, especially young people, integrate into society? How do we fulfill our responsibilities for receiving them into the school system? To meet these challenges, so often the subject of discussion in Quebec, we must first understand the psychosocial problems related to conflict trauma. In light of the trivialization of tragedies caused by painful migratory experiences and discrimination, there are a number of solutions to help refugee children successfully integrate into the school system and better understand the failures. 

For broadcast quality excerpts, please contact the NFB Publicist: Judith Dubeau.

For high hesolution images, please contact the NFB Publicist:  Judith Dubeau.