Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet
Special Screening - Ajyal Youth Film Festival 2014
Roger Allers with Joan Gratz, Mohammed Saeed Harib, Paul Brizzi, Gaëtan Brizzi, Tomm Moore, Joann Sfar, Bill Plympton, Nina Paley, Michal Socha / Feature Narrative / Canada, France, Lebanon, Qatar, United States of America / 2014 / 84 min / Colour / DCP / In English / Arabic subtitles / MENA Premiere
Rated: Parental guidance is advised. Some material may be inappropriate for young children.
Synopsis
Since its publication in 1923, Lebanese poet Kahlil Gibran’s ‘The Prophet’, has been a classic around the world; one of the bestselling books of the 20th century, it has been translated into more than 40 languages. Turning this collection of poems into a feature film is a monumental task, but writer-director Roger Allers (Disney’s ‘The Lion King’) has risen to the occasion. The result is a beautiful and charming tale that remains faithful to the spirit of Gibran’s original text.
Mustafa, a political prisoner, obtains his freedom the same day he meets mischievous young Almitra, who follows him on his trek through the town to the ship that will take him home. Along the way, the townspeople ask for Mustafa’s opinion on several of life’s questions, and his wisdom is illustrated by glorious animated sequences by eight acclaimed animation artists, among them celebrated Gulf director Mohammed Saeed Harib (of ‘Freej’ fame) and Academy Award winner Joan Gratz (‘Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase’).
Co-funded by the Doha Film Institute, and produced by Salma Hayek Pinault – who also lends her voice to the film, along with Liam Neeson – ‘Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet’ had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, after a sneak preview screening at Cannes. It is a magnificent accomplishment, one that is certain to bring Gibran’s beloved poetry to a new generation of admirers.
About the Director
Mohammed Saeed Harib is a well-known Emirati and Chairman of Lammtara. He created the highly popular animated TV series “FREEJ”. The first season aired in 2006 and received rave reviews from viewers and critics alike with Mohammed and “FREEJ” becoming cultural icons recognized across the region. Mohammed studied General Arts and Animation at Northeastern University in Boston. After establishing Lammtara in 2005, he announced his first animation project “FREEJ”.
Roger Allers was born in New York. He made his feature film debut with ‘The Lion King’ (co-director, 1994) following two decades working on Disney classics including ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (1991) and ‘The Lion King’ (1994). He was nominated for an Oscar for the short film ‘The Little Matchgirl’ (2006).
Tomm Moore was born in Newry, Northern Ireland, and studied animation at Ballyfermot College in Dublin. He co-founded the animation studio Cartoon Saloon, and has written, produced, animated and directed short films and commercials. In 2009 he co-directed the animated feature ‘The Secret of Kells’, which was nominated for an Academy Award.
Joan Gratz is an Academy Award-winning director of animated short films and commercials. Her films range in content through painterly expressions of poetry, improvised abstraction, and animated social documentary. Joan developed animated painting when an architecture student at the University of Oregon, then shifted from paint to clay while working with Will Vinton Studios. During that time, her work included design and animation for the Academy Award Nominees 'Return to Oz', 'Rip Van Winkle', and 'The Creation'. She established her own studio, Gratzfilm, in 1987 and has served on major film festival juries in Asia, Europe, and North America.
Credits
- Director
- Roger Allers with Joan Gratz, Mohammed Saeed Harib, Paul Brizzi, Gaëtan Brizzi, Tomm Moore, Joann Sfar, Bill Plympton, Nina Paley, Michal Socha
- Screenwriter
- Roger Allers
- Producer
- Salma Hayek-Pinault, Clark Peterson, José Tamez, Ron Senkowski
- Editor
- Jennifer Dolce
- Executive Producer
- Doha Film Institute, Participant Media, FFA Private Bank, MyGroup Lebanon and Code Red Productions
- Music
- Gabriel Yared
- Sales Company
- Wild Bunch
- Production Company
- The Prophet Screen Partners, LLC, Doha Film Institute, Participant Media, FFA Private Bank, MyGroup Lebanon, Financiére Pinault, Code Red Productions, Ventanarosa Productions, Hanson Inc., Creative Projects Group, The Gibran National Committee
- Distributor
- Media International Pictures
- Cast
- Liam Neeson, Salma Hayek-Pinault, John Krasinski, Frank Langella, Alfred Molina, John Rhys-Davies, Quvenzhané Wallis