# Collier perdu de la colombe, Le (1991)

### reviewed by
Thomas E. Billings

                           THE DOVE'S LOST NECKLACE
                      A film review by Thomas E. Billings
                       Copyright 1992 Thomas E. Billings

Synopsis: In Moslem Andalusia, during the Eleventh Century, a young man who is an apprentice calligrapher, searches for love and a fabled princess. A folktale with fantasy elements, and a coming of age story. A good story, relatively well done. However, its leisurely pace and indirect approach will not appeal to some viewers.

France/Tunisia (English subtitles), color, 1991, 90 minutes. Director/Writer: Nacer Khemir

Hassan is a young, single man in the prime of his life. He is an apprentice to a master calligrapher. Hassan is also somewhat obsessed with love; he wants to learn all the different Arabic words for love in its different forms. Also, he is very interested in the beautiful daughter of his employer, the master calligrapher.

Using a "middle man," a young child who lives in the street, Hassan tries to tell the calligrapher's daughter of his love for her. Soon he encounters someone burning books; he salvages a scrap of the book and reads of Aziz, Princess of Samarkand. He resolves to leave, and search for the fabled Princess he is sure he loves. The story continues with his adventures as he begins his search.

This film is a pleasant folktale, that tells of a young man's search for love, and for the fabled Princess of Samarkand in her garden. It has good production values, though the viewer is warned that the budget appears to be modest; the film is definitely not a high budget epic! It is also, in a certain sense, a coming of age story, though it is decidedly different from the teenage "hormone comedies" that come from Hollywood.

Although the film is generally quite good, there are a few aspects of it that might deter some viewers. Some of the dialog is very poetic and flowery, and some viewers might find that aspect strange. Also, the last half of the film seems to be a bit disorganized. There are scenes that appear to be pure fantasy, mixed with scenes that may be real. This raises questions of what is real in the last half of the film. Additionally, the first half of the film develops at a very slow pace (too slow for some viewers).

If you enjoy folktales, the film is worth considering. It is unclear whether it is appropriate for a general audience, due to its slow pace and disjointed approach to storytelling.

U.S. Distribution: currently on the film festival circuit. Print source is: Carthago Films, 6 Avenue Hache, 75008 Paris, France. No information available on future U.S. theatrical release.

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