★★★★
"A remarkable achievement" - The Observer
★★★★
"A beautifully shot, intimate and powerful story" - Empire
★★★★-
"This affecting coming-of-age doc is as pure and literal a manifestation of ‘finding your voice’ as you’ll see."
- Time Out
★★★★
“Reaches levels of inspirational feels that arguably rival Best Picture winner CODA” - Total Film
★★★★ 1/2
“Quite possibly the most outstanding film of the year” - Daily News
"A groundbreaking work... that pushes the medium forward." POV
"A uniquely immersive and deeply humane documentary" - The Crack
“Sensitive and impressionistic… Name Me L
awand moves like a whirlwind.”
- CineEuropa
★★★★
"Impressionistic and deeply moving" - The Sunday Times
★★★★
"Empathetic and Inspiring" - The Guardian
“A remarkable feat of filmmaking”
- AnOther Magazine
★★★★-
"A heartening tale told with poise and empathy"
- Little White Lies
★★★★
“Incredibly crafted” - Radio Times
★★★★★
“A heart-wrenching, wonderful film” - New Internationalist
★★★★
“Remarkable” - FIlm News
“Elegantly impressionistic” - Sight and Sound
“Gripping” - The Spectator
“A gorgeously uplifting film” - Evening Standard Magazine
"Name Me Lawand shows you how cinema will enrich your life." - Mark Kermode, Mark and Mayo's Take
The Best Films of 2023: The Critics' Choice - The Sunday Times
WINNER Best Documentary - Grand Prize @ FIFDH International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights 2024
WINNER Best Feature Documentary - Jury Award @ BIDF Budapest International Documentary Festival 2024
WINNER Checkpoints Human Rights Documentary Award @ BIFF Bergen International Film Festival 2023
WINNERS CIRCLE @ DOC NYC 2023
WINNER ReelAbilities Accessibility Award @ ReelAbilities 2023
WINNER Children’s Resilience in Film Award @ Shine Global Children’s Resilience in Film Awards 2023
WINNER Special Jury Prize for Best International Feature & Top 20 Audience Award @ HOTDOCS 2023
NOMINEE The Raindance Maverick Award @ BIFA British Independent Film Awards 2023
NOMINEE Best Documentary @ GRIERSON British Documentary Awards 2023
NOMINEE Documentary Film Campaign of the Year @ The Big Screen Awards 2023
NOMINEE Refugee Reporting Award @ One World Media Awards 2023
NOMINEE Docs for School Award @ HOTDOCS 2023
NOMINEE Best Feature Documentary @ BFI London Film Festival 2023
Awards
Synopsis
Five-year-old Lawand is on a quest to find a world where there are people like him – people who will understand him. Since birth, Lawand has been profoundly deaf and unable to communicate with those around him. He undertakes a treacherous journey with his family from Iraq to Derby, home of the Royal School for the Deaf. But this new life soon comes under threat when the family face deportation. Along with members of the Derby community, they begin a new quest – a fight to stay in the place they now call home.
Employing a striking visual style that frames Lawand’s development, from being voiceless to a voice representing others in the Deaf Community, Edward Lovelace’s (The Possibilities Are Endless) documentary is an inspirational and touching coming-of-age story.
Credits
Directed by Edward Lovelace
Featuring Lawand Hamad Amin and Rawa Hamad Amin
NAME ME LAWAND is a Pulse Films production with support from BFI Doc Society Fund (awarding National Lottery funding) and Electric Shadow Company, produced by Fleur Nieddu, Sam Arnold, Beyan Taher, Neil Andrews, Marisa Clifford and Edward Lovelace.
Executive Producers are Thomas Benski, Tim O'Shea, Diene Petterle, Lisa Marie Russo, Kwesi Dickson and Isabel Freer.
REVIEWS
"SHOWS YOU HOW CINEMA CAN ENRICH YOUR LIFE"
MARK KERMODE, MARK AND MAYO'S TAKE
★★★★
"A REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT"
THE OBSERVER
★★★★★
"A HEART WRENCHING, WONDERFUL FILM"
NEW INTERNATIONALIST
"A REMARKABLE FEAT OF FILMMAKING"
ANOTHER MAGAZINE
"GROUNDBREAKING"
POV MAGAZINE
★★★★
"EMPATHETIC AND INSPIRING"
THE GUARDIAN
★★★★
"TOUCHING ... UPLIFTING"
TOTAL FILM
★★★★
A HEARTENING TALE TOLD WITH POISE AND EMPATHY
LITTLE WHITE LIES
