This feature-length animated film centres around the story of Rosie Ming, a young Canadian poet invited to perform at a Poetry Festival in Shiraz, Iran. Rosie lives in Vancouver with her over-protective Chinese grandparents, and has never been anywhere on her own. But once in Iran, she finds herself in the company of poets and Persians, all of whom tell her stories about her past, the Iranian father she had assumed abandoned her, and about the nature of poetry itself. This is a film about love, finding your own path, and learning how to forgive.
An uplifting animated film that’s ideal for classroom discussions, projects, and reflections about poetry, family, identity and multiculturalism. Why do you think the title of the film is Window Horses? What significance do both these words have in relation to themes or ideas explored in the film? Why do you think Rosie is represented as a stick figure? How does her appearance change throughout the film, and what do these changes symbolize? Explain your answer. What do you believe the constant comparisons between Iran and Paris represent, both for Rosie herself, and for the film at large? Consider your own history, family, and culture. How do these separate influences shape who you are? Then, write a poem that reflects what you’ve learned.