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A whole lot of love

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOINT

When Ami Ankilewitz was barely 18 months old, his mother was told that he had a rare motor neuron disease called spinal muscular atrophy and that he was unlikely to live beyond six. Now 34, Ankilewitz lives in Tel Aviv and works as a 3-D animator, despite weighing only 39 pounds [17.7kg] and being able to move only one finger on his left hand.

''Animation makes me feel free,'' he explains. And in the lighthearted yet forthright documentary 39 Pounds of Love, the director, Dani Menkin, follows Ami and two friends as they travel across the US to realize Ami's three main ambitions. He wants to confront the doctor who predicted his early demise; to reconcile with his estranged brother, Oscar, now living in Dallas; and to ride a Harley-Davidson. Throughout, Ankilewitz's internal life is expressed by means of a parallel narrative featuring his own unique and colorful computer drawings.

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