The Dove's Lost Necklace

Nacer Khemir makes sufi literature come alive in all his movies

The story of a man who finally found the real "love". To understant the real message of this movie, you should know the story of Layla and Majnun.

The second part of Nacer Khemir's Desert Trilogy is more satisfying than the first instalment "Wanderer's of the Desert". It's more colourful than it's predecessor and easier to follow. The arabic spoken is classical as opposed to the strong Tunisian accent of Wanderers. I think that non-arabs might find the love sick student a bit over the top but it makes lots of sense in a Middle Eastern context and the over-emphasis on love, especially, Divine love was something prevalent in Islamic society at those times. I kind of slightly lost my bearing on the story towards the 3rd act but it was still nice to watch. 4 Stars because there were no Extra Features on the DVD. Director's Commentary please!

Yes, this is what I like to call visual poem--where the story tugs and pushes you in many directions. It's one of the best films I ever watched. Excellent photography. It seems like an old film, and my first Tunisian at that. I am really impressed--a great work that deals with myth, magic realism, social awareness and human heart. Love played the central theme yet radiated in several directions: patriotism, brotherly love, love between a man and a woman, love of a whore, love of a son who never met his father, self-love and ultimately, love for God. Sensuous with minimal use of characters, surrounding and acting itself: watch when the girl touches the protagonist's injured hand and how she connects that touch with her lips; no contemporary mode of expression of hyped up erotica can come close in intensity and warmth to that scene. It shows a sophistication that has long lost in many parts of the Islamic culture. Symbols and allegories came and gone, but never actually overwhelmed me. To me, every segment was like a mini stanza, with a life and a meaning of its own. The desert landscape and the townships look so haunting--a throwback in time. There are few lines of the script I enjoyed and most notable one is this: (1) "Every dream has its echo." Director's use of the graveyard and death was very intelligent--reminder of closeness between love and death. Wish I could have written a better review, but my skill is limited. I highly encourage to watch this movie. At least you will get to enjoy some beautiful pieces of Arabic Calligraphy and hear few profound philosophical lines from few who, on screen, look as mythical as the landscape they habitat.

I've been searching for this film for a long time - Navin Chowdhry offers the right flavor to this story as a young man looking to the written word for the meaning of love. Unanswered questions and adventures overlap throughout the story until the end, when it appears he realizes what he has gained most is experience which he can use to determine for himself. Even though there is death and destruction in this story, it is so beautifully portrayed that what I gained was a better meaning of life.