The Unfinished Childhood, directed by Nasser Saffarian in 2020, takes a look at children’s poetry from the last few decades, featuring poems about war and religion to poems on the meaning of life, tragedy, and humor. The documentary’s setup is straightforward, with Saffarian interviewing the pioneers in children’s poetry. The poets’ familiarity with children and their world and its complexities gives the film both its specificity and its approachability. Saffarian takes his time to explore the world of children with delicacy and meticulousness. The interviews closely analyze children’s mentality and idealism and how these characteristics have impacted the work of poets. |