Name Me Lawand

2023 • 91’ • UK

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.

Director:
Edward Lovelace

Producer:
Fleur Nieddu

  • Special Jury Award
    — HotDocs 2023

    Children’s Resilience in Film Award
    — Shine Global 2023

    Best Documentary Release [nominee]
    — Big Screen Awards 2023

    Refugee Reporting Award
    — One World Media 2023

    Junior Jury Award
    — Budapest International Documentary Festival 2024

    Grand prix
    — FIFDH 2024

    Best Documentary Feature
    — RiverRun International Film Festival 2024

    Best Feature Documentary Film
    — Festival Inclús 2024

    BFI London Film Festival
    Buster Film Festival 2023
    Bergen International Film Festival 2023
    Windsor International Film Festival 2023
    Ayjal Film Festival 2023
    DOCNYC 2023
    Mostly British Film Festival 2024
    Sedona International Film Festival 2024
    Oslo Dokumentarkino (HUMAN) 2024
    Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival 2024
    Millenium Festival 2024
    Martha's Vineyard Film Festival 2024
    Nouveaux Regards Film Festival 2024
    ReelAbilities Film Festival 2024
    Phoenix Film Festival 2024
    Minneapolis St Paul International Film Festival 2024
    Amsterdam Kurdish Film Festival 2024
    DocEdge 2024
    Les murs ne servent à rien Film Festival 2024
    Peloponnisos International Documentary Festival 2024
    Le Grand Bivouac - International Documentary Film Festival 2024
    Cinémathèque Nationale du Royaume du Maroc 2024
    ReelAbilities Columbus 2024

Filmmaker’s Biography

Edward Lovelace is known for his critically acclaimed work, including his award-winning third feature film co-directed with James Hall, THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS (2014 – SXSW, BFI London Film Festival) and their VOLVO x SKY ATLANTIC documentary series HUMAN MADE STORIES (Cannes Lions, Tribeca Film Festival 2020). His previous work also includes A SONG STILL INSIDE (2020 – short narrative), KATY PERRY: PART OF ME (2012 – feature documentary), and WEREWOLVES ACROSS AMERICA (2010 – feature documentary). His most recent feature film NAME ME LAWAND (2022) won Best International Film at HotDocs 2023, received a Grierson Award 'Best Feature Documentary' nomination at BFI London Film Festival 2022 and has been nominated for a One World Media 'Refugee Reporting' Award. NAME ME LAWAND is being released by BFI Distribution in June 2023 across the UK & Ireland. He is currently developing a fiction feature with BBC Film and is in development for his next feature documentary.