Alex Kronemer's LAMYA'S POEM concerns a 12 year old girl in Aleppo Syria who is trying to continue her studies with a traveling teacher. Her teacher gives her books and asks her to help teach her friends. The latest book he leaves with her is a book of poems by Rumi. As the war closes in the stories in the poems echoes in Lamya's life.
There is much to love about this film. Its a frequently visually stunning film that takes us out of the theater and causes us to drift off to the world on screen. There are some truly magnificent moments in this film that transcend the uneven writing.
As good as much of this film is the writing is uneven. It frequently pushes the point it wants to make as if we won't get it. Its a problem that Kronemer's earlier BILAL: A NEW BREED OF HERO suffered from. It's as if Kronemer wants to deal with weighty material and but then under estimates his audience because he's using animation so he has to talk down to them. The result is the film isn't as good as it should be.
And despite my quibbling the film really is good, with some really great moments.
Worth a look.
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