CWC Global: Lamya’s Poem

The animated film Lamya’s Poem (2021) is an inspiring and timely tale about a twelve-year-old Syrian refugee girl named Lamya, who has a remarkable talent for poetry.

As Lamya flees the violence of her country, she is given a book of poetry by the famous thirteenth-century poet Rumi. The book becomes a magical gateway that allows her to meet the boy Rumi, who also fled violence as a young refugee. In a shared dreamworld, the new friends battle the monsters that follow them from the real world as Lamya helps young Rumi find his calling and write the poem that will save her life 800 years later. Set against the backdrop of sweeping social change, Lamya’s journey highlights the transformative and cathartic power of art, demonstrating how it can serve as a source of solace and self-discovery.

Filmmaker Sam Kadi will join moderator Juan Campo (Religious Studies, UCSB) for a post-screening discussion of Lamya’s Poem.