I Want to Live

I would use the word "Elegant" to describe this film because it is optically a beautiful film, I wish one day it could be released on Blu-ray, the version I watched was online, not full HD quality, but still I found it very beautiful and poetic, like other users mentioned in their reviews, the film is very slow paced, it shows events, daily life and struggle of a little boy in a Refugee Camp, his life is simple, so the film is simple, the camera sees and shows what he sees and show, it capture life the ways it is, without manipulation, which is very rare to find in today's films, that is why I found it so moving and so elegant.

Like the main character in this film, I was also born with thalassemia, a blood disorder which requires transfusions every other week to keep me healthy and alive. When I get transfused, the whole process takes seven or eight hours, which means I have to do a lot of "working around" to fit it in my schedule. Also, on transfusion days, I am given several pre-meds which cause me to become very drowsy and keep me from eating properly or functioning for basically an entire day. There are a lot of complications associated with thalassemia, especially transfusion-related iron overload which requires a daily drug treatment, and sometimes it can be scary knowing that excess iron will damage my heart and liver if I can't get it out. But thanks to the expert care I receive from experienced and knowledgeable doctors, I am able to lead a fulfilling and rewarding life.

Be warned, much of the footage is shot on location, very realistic, not your Disney type films, it show the daily life and struggle of a little boy who is a Refugee and also sick. If the world understands what's happened over there, we might be a little more compassionate for the people who suffered through this, especially the children. There's still time left to do something, something for the children and their cries for help.

To my mind, it is a fully realized cinematic work of art, a film that has been carefully composed in every single scene in order to provide a unique and meditative, but powerful watching experience. Without doubt, any viewer with an open heart and mind will be fully immersed into the world and lives of the young children portrayed in this movie.

I had a chance to watch this film two years ago when it was show here in New York by the New Filmmaker. It seem like a simple film, but it not, it is very rich, what make is great is the simplicity of it, every image is carefully composed and planned in advance. What you see is the truth, simple story of a boy who only want to live. Never forgot this film and this boy, Shndar, and I'm very happy to hear he is safe now in Ireland, thanks to this film and the effort of the filmmakers, he is can get required medical treatment. I look forward seeing more film from Mr. Kardozi, an emerging talent.