The film follows three refugee families in Sweden whose children have been affected by resentment syndrome. According to the filter magazine that reviewed the documentary, one of the children must have simulated the symptoms of abandonment at the request of their parents. Filter magazine builds its revelation on interviews with a family that was close to the child and the child's family. An image that the neighboring family also confirms in conversation with SVT.

The critically acclaimed film was created by Kristine Samuelson and John Haptas and was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Card Documentary category but was seen defeated by Carol Dysinger and Elena Andreichava's film Learning to skateboard in a warzone (If you're a girl).

Did not want to delve into theories of the syndrome

Svt has sought the authors behind the apathetic children without results. The film's one author, John Haptas, touched on the topic of the debated diagnosis of abandonment syndrome at a filmed interrogation at the Chicago Critics Film Festival 2019. He then said it was important for them not to speculate on theories about what the syndrome is due to in the film.

- We did not want to delude ourselves into the many theories that exist about what causes the syndrome, why it exists precisely in Sweden or in how to treat it best. We wanted the viewer to have emotional contact with the affected families, he said then.

SVT has also applied for the Oscars and the Swedish member of the Oscar jury Anneli Ahlbom with no results.