(MENAFN- Arab Times) LOS ANGELES April 28 (Agencies): The Salma Hayek-produced animated feature 'The Prophet' is set to open the Annecy International Animation Film Festival the world's leading toon fest. The nine-part feature penned and helmed by Roger Allers ('The Lion King') is inspired by Kahlil Gibran's masterpiece. The segments are directed by Tomm Moore Michal Socha Joan Gratz Nina Paley Bill Plympton Joann Sfar and Mohammed Harib respectively.
Set on the imaginary island of Orphalese 'The Prophet' centers around the unlikely friendship between Almitra a mischievous and mute 8-year-old girl and Mustafa a political prisoner under house arrest. ''The Prophet' by Kahlil Gibran has been read by more than 120 million people in the world without being adapted. It was therefore a challenge for me to adapt it into ... an animated series. That's why I enlisted nine of the best animation directors (Tomm Moore Michal Socha Joan Gratz Nina Paley Bill Plympton Joann Sfar Mohammed Harib as well as Paul and Gaetan Brizzi) and each had the total freedom to imagine a story around the poems' explained Hayek. 'The Prophet' marks Hayek's first animated feature production. Annecy's opening ceremony will take place June 16. The complete lineup will be unveiled tomorrow. Mexican actress Hayek says her new film 'The Prophet' was a labour of love that helped her explore her relationship with her late Lebanese grandfather who adored the book that inspired it. The animated film tells the story of Almitra a headstrong girl who forms a friendship with imprisoned poet Mustafa. Hayek co-produced the film and does the voiceover for Almitra's mother Kamila. The story explores the themes of love and spirituality. 'Through this book I got to know my grandfather through this book I got to have my grandfather teaching me about life' she said in Beirut where she was launching the film. 'For me this is a love letter to my heritage.' Hayek and father visited her grandfather's village Baabdat in what she described as an emotional journey. Connections 'Between all the connections of our ancestors and the memories of the ones that are no longer with us I hope they are proud of this film because I did it also for them' she said. Hayek also visited Gibran's birthplace Bcharre village on Sunday to pay tribute to the writer and his book a series of poetic essays written in English which has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. In the film written and directed by Lion King director Roger Allers Mustafa is locked away for his poetry which is deemed dangerous and rebellious. He explains to Almitra how he escapes his imprisonment through his mind. 'My words are my wings' he says. Mustafa is voiced by Liam Neeson who was easily drawn to the small-budget film Hayek said. 'He loves the book he knew the poems by heart.' Hayek says she was personally inspired by Gibran's mother who shares the name of her character Kamila. After an unhappy marriage Kamila moved to the United States and worked selling cloth to provide for her four children. 'Because of her courage Kahlil Gibran was inspired to be the man that he became' Hayek said. She said the adaptation which features an all-star cast was a 'personal film' because her Lebanese grandfather loved The Prophet. 'Through this book I got to know my grandfather. Through this book I had my grandfather teaching me about life' said the star who has been in Lebanon since Friday. The Prophet now in its 163rd edition is widely considered the second most-read book in the world after the Bible. A collection of poems and prose originally written in English The Prophet has been translated into more than 40 languages since its first publication in 1923. It tells the story of Almustafa who before returning to his homeland speaks to residents of the city of Orphalese about different aspects of life love work children friendship and death. The movie is entirely animated with dream-like fantasy sequences as Almustafa called simply Mustafa in the film shares his wisdom before being expelled by authorities because of his rebellious poetry. Divided into 26 chapters verses from 'The Prophet' are often quoted at births weddings and funerals around the world. 'Your children are not your children they come through you but not from you' one popular line reads. 'When love beckons to you follow him though his ways are hard and steep' reads another a regular at weddings. Adaptation Hayek said visiting Lebanon had allowed her to realise an 'old dream' of visiting the birthplace of Gibran the country's most famous writer. She said she hoped her adaptation of the book would demonstrate 'to the world that there is an Arabic writer who wrote philosophy and poetry who brought all religions and all the world together and has sold more than 100 million copies around the world for many generations.' 'We wanted to do (him) justice we want the world to remember' him. Despite his popularity among readers Gibran's most famous work received a lukewarm reception at the time of writing from American critics who criticised it as simplistic and moralising. Hayek's adaptation first screened at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival is an international effort involving 10 directors and nine producers from Canada France Lebanon Qatar and the United States. It will begin screening publicly in Lebanon from April 30 and in the United States during the summer. Hayek said the adaptation was animated in a bid to better convey Gibran's message to a younger generation with the script produced by Roger Allers who directed Disney's 'The Lion King'. The film is scored by French-Lebanese composer Gabriel Yared who worked on 'The English Patient'. Hayek also acknowledged the region's ongoing political turmoil during her visit to Lebanon meeting with some of the nearly 1.2 million Syrian refugees living in the country. 'I was very moved by many of the stories. There was a girl for example because of the traumas she was paralysed and she was able to walk with me yesterday thanks to the psychological aid' she told AFP. 'I was deeply moved by their courage and their hope.' Hayek said the whole trip to Lebanon had been full of emotion. 'There are too many things that are emotional from reconnecting with my roots and being able to see the house of my family... to the love of the people to the refugee camp to the kids with cancer that I went to see today to the reaction of the people after seeing the movie' she said. In tribute to Gibran her visit also included a stop in his hometown of Bsharre where the writer was buried after he died in 1931 aged just 48 of tuberculosis. Hayek said that the animated feature film 'The Prophet' she co-produced has been a personal passion project one she hopes can inspire young viewers to think outside the box about ways to improve the world. Hayek is visiting Lebanon her ancestral homeland for the international premiere of the film written and directed by Roger Allers the maker of the Disney production 'The Lion King.' Hayek told The Associated Press that the movie has a 'message of peace.' 'I think the whole world could use a little bit of message of peace and more than a message of peace to watch something that's uplifting for the spirit and joyous and that you can share with your family ' Hayek said as she walked down the red carpet for the movie premiere in a downtown Beirut cinema complex. The movie also helped bring to the audience a message of compassion and humanity from an author who comes from a violence-torn region. Gibran she said 'is an Arabic writer who wrote philosophy and poetry and who brought all religions and the world together.' On the red carpet Hayek who was wearing a dress by Lebanese designer Elie Saab said she didn't read the book to her 7-year-old daughter Valentina but has watched the film with her. 'It's hard for a kid to understand (the Prophet) as it's written that's why we made the movie. She understands it in the film because she sees the images of the words' Hayek told AP. Hayek's daughter and her father accompanied her on her first trip to Lebanon. 'This has been the most amazing trip. I was not prepared for how emotional it was going to be for my family to be here' she said.
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