Indie Filmmaker Spotlight: Short Film “Izidor”

Feb
20,
2025

Imagine never stepping foot outside until the age of eight years old… that is the story of “IZIDOR,”based on the life of Izidor Ruckel. 

Today, Izidor Ruckel is a symbol of hope for children everywhere and is an internationally known public speaker and activist. His story was recently featured by Morgan Freeman in Episode 3 of a six-part docu-series “The Story of Us” which premiered on National Geographic in the U.S.

Izidor’s journey of growing up in Romania has never been told through the eyes of a child—until now. This short, mixed-media film brings that perspective to life.

For twenty-four years, Romania’s dictator Nicolae Ceausescu pressured families to have at least five children in order to build his army. When the Iron Curtain fell in 1989, Western press found tens of thousands of maltreated children in secret government “hospitals” where any child with a physical or mental deficiency or disability ended up — including Izidor.

Through both animation and live action, “IZIDOR” gives viewers a glimpse into the life and psyche of an institutionalized child. The stakes are high because Izidor isn’t just a fictional character, but a real boy trying to determine what it means to be human. He represents not just Romania’s abandoned children, but all vulnerable children, everywhere. 

In the film, Izidor (Iosua Barbu) only knows life behind the hospital walls until until a kind nurse named Onisa (Sarah Padbury) takes him home for the night and opens his world.  Viewers are taken into the world of a young boy hidden in an asylum for eight years where “defective” children were banished and abused, never setting foot outside.

The film is directed/ produced by David Kabbe, written/ produced by Sarah Padbury and includes an impressive team such as Animation Supervisor, John Kujawa (Comedy Central’s Emmy Award-winning South Park.)

The film masterfully utilizes both animation and live action to accentuate the disparity between how institutionalized children experience life compared to children in families. Izidor’s life in the asylum is depicted through animation. Once he steps foot outside, the film transforms into live action – allowing Izidor to be spellbound by the sights and sounds of nature and family life. This atypical use of animation to show the darker side of his experience makes the project truly special.

The film is currently on the festival circuit. To learn more visit Izidorstory.com