Long-awaited animated feature “Lamya’s Poem” has unveiled its first trailer.
Alex Kronemer’s Rumi-inspired film about a Syrian refugee girl named Lamya was one of the hot competition titles at the 2021 Annecy Film Festival, and went on to play at festivals in Vancouver, Zurich and Prague.
The film is an inspiring and timely tale about a 12-year-old Syrian refugee who flees the violence of her country, and looks to a gifted book of poetry by the famous 13th-century poet, Rumi, as a source of strength. As the perils of her journey mount, the book becomes a magical gateway where she meets Rumi when he was a boy and also a refugee fleeing the violence of his time. In a shared dreamworld, they battle the monsters that follow them from their real world situations, and Lamya must help young Rumi find his calling and write the poem that, 800 years later, will save her life.
The film’s voice talent includes Mena Massoud, the star of Disney’s most recent “Aladdin,” as young poet Rumi; Millie Davis (“Wonder,” “Orphan Black”) as Lamya; and Faran Tahir (“Iron Man,” “Star Trek”) as Baha Walad, Rumi’s father.
Rumi was a Persian poet and Sufi master whose influence has transcended borders. His poems have been widely translated and have sold millions of copies in recent years. His quote, “The wound is the place where the light enters you,” inspired the filmmakers behind “Lamya’s Poem.”
The Unity Productions Foundation-financed picture is written and directed by Kronemer, with Sam Kadi (“The Citizen,” “Little Gandhi”) and Glenn James Brown producing and Brandon Lloyd (“The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!,” “Cyberchase”) as director of animation for Canada’s PiP Animation Studios.
The creative team also includes music composer Christopher Willis (“The Personal History of David Copperfield,” “The Death of Stalin”) and art director Kristina Vardazaryan (“Wonder Park,” “The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run”).
WestEnd Films, whose library includes Oscar-nominated animation titles such as “The Breadwinner” and “Song of the Sea,” is handling international sales, while ICM is representing the North American rights.
Check out the trailer below: