When we hear reports about divorce or the emotions associated with a particularly difficult separation we are usually hearing the events from an adult’s perspective. While probably fact filled, there is another side we rarely get to hear and that is from the children who must go through the divorce as well. As the independent filmmaker Ellen Bruno says, “Kids are wise and intuitive, and when given the space to share their experience, they speak a truth that is clear and profound.”
While child custody is usually the first thought when thinking about divorce, the impact of the separation usually holds the most importance. When Bruno decided to make a documentary about the effects of divorce on children, she wanted the story to come from the perspective that had the most to say: the kids themselves. In her new documentary ‘Split’ she asked 12 children, ages six to 12, about their feelings when it came to the divorce of their parents. It didn’t surprise her that many of the kids had the same feelings.
Many kids felt like the divorce was their fault on some level, even if they couldn’t quite articulate why. The consistent feeling of being stuck in the middle and hating the fact that their parents were fighting was also a common theme. And while this seems to pair with what a lot of experts have been saying for years, hearing it from a child’s perspective really seems to drive the message home for most. It’s simply a matter of listening and showing that we really care, says Bruno whose documentary is set to release in June.
Source: The Huffington Post, “Kids And Divorce: ‘Split’ Documentary Sheds Light On How Divorce Affects Children (VIDEO),” April 4, 2013