Lamya's Poem
Animated refugee story has mature themes, peril.
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Lamya's Poem
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Lamya's Poem is an animated Syrian refugee tale about a 12-year-old girl named Lamya who's fleeing the violence and bombings in her country with her mother. She falls in and out of a dreamland where she meets Rumi, a poet from the 13th century who's also a refugee escaping the violence from his time. Though the movie is animated and the main characters are kids, the movie deals with a lot of complex emotions including loss, anger, sadness, depression, and finally, hope. There are intense moments where characters are in peril. Some injuries show blood. The dream sequences include attacking monsters with red glowing eyes that could be scary and intense for some younger or sensitive viewers. The monsters attack the characters, and in one intense sequence, even capture and possess the main character. Lamya, her mother, and other refugees fall off a raft in the ocean during a big storm at night with crashing waves. Angry White people on boats yell at the passing boat carrying refugees "we don't want your kind here." On a positive note, the movie boasts a diverse cast including a young, brave female character who is kind and brave. Some positive messages of kindness, forgiveness, and friendship are easier to spot, while others of hope, perseverance, and the power of words are more symbolic.
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What's the Story?
LAMYA'S POEM tells the story of a 12-year-old Syrian girl named Lamya who's fleeing the violence in her country with her mother. Throughout the film, Lamya tumbles into a dreamworld where she meets a young poet named Rumi (voiced by Mena Massoud) from the 13th century who's also escaping violence in Syria. In the shared dreamworld they battle monsters that parallel their real-world situations. Throughout the journey, Lamya and her mother face dangers in their quest to find safety, while Rumi learns to let go of his anger and pour his emotions into writing. In the complex and emotional tale of survival and hope, Lamya and Rumi manage to save each other.
Is It Any Good?
Though geared toward families, Lamya's Poem is a complex and emotional animated movie with heavy themes. Emotions touch on anger, sadness, loss, desire for revenge, and forgiveness. The story unfolds through three different tracks. In one, Lamya has lost her father in the violence of the Syrian war. The frequent bombings force her and her mother to flee and take refuge in another country. In the second path viewers meet Rumi, a young poet forced to leave his country after the Mongols invade. He feels anger about being forced to leave his life behind and desires revenge. His father encourages him to pour his emotions into his poems and drive the feelings of hate away. Finally, the dreamland track shows both Lamya and Rumi together battling monsters that parallel the hardships they're facing in real life. The story is creative in how it brings the two Syrian children together, especially in the climax featuring real poems by Jalaluddin Rumi and how his words inspire people hundreds of years later.
The multiple storylines make the movie complicated but not impossible to follow. The film manages to shed light on a tough topic in a way that's gentle enough for families with older or more mature children to understand. It offers an opportunity for families to discuss refugees and displaced people, how they might act if faced with similar circumstances, and how they might have more compassion than some people show in the movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the conditions that force people to leave their homes and flee to another country, as shown in Lamya's Poem.
What similarities do Lamya's and Rumi's stories have? How are they different? Why do you think the creators wanted to show both of them in one movie?
How did you like the way the creators connected Lamya's and Rumi's stories in their dreamlands? Which of the three settings did you enjoy most? Why?
In the dreamland, Rumi and Lamya face mystical beings and monsters that parallel some of the dangers they're facing in real life. What do you think some of the monsters represented? Why do you think creators chose to cut to the dreamland scenes when they did?
Do you think the fictional violence was more or less intense than the violence the characters faced in real life? Why?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: February 21, 2023
- Cast: Faran Tahir, Mena Massoud, Millie Davis, Aya Bryn Zakarya
- Director: Alexander Kronemer
- Studio: Freestyle Digital Media
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Adventures, Friendship
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Courage, Perseverance
- Run time: 69 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: March 4, 2023
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