Inspired by the classic 1923 book ‘The Prophet’ by the Lebanese philosopher, artist and writer Kahlil Gibran, the feature film has been produced by Salma Hayek’s Ventanarosa Productions and has been written and directed by Roger Allers. Roger Allers is well known for his work in the highest grossing 2D animated film to date, The Lion King.
The film which was previewed at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival got a positive response from the audience.
The movie is about the story of a headstrong girl, Almitra, who makes friends with poet Mustafa – in jail for his work which has been deemed dangerous and rebellious. The adaptation is a collection of nine stories by Mustafa.
This 84 minutes feature film has been animated by nine independent animators Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi, Joan C. Gratz, Mohammed Saeed Harib, Tomm Moore, Nina Paley, Bill Plympton, Joann Sfar and Michal Socha. Each of the animators is also the directors and has produced each of the film’s collective essays.
Salma Hayek who is the co-producer also provides the voice for Almitra’s mother, Kamila.
“It is such an iconic book,” Hayek said. “It has sold more than 120 million copies around the world. It is so beloved, so it was important to get it right. The movie is about freedom, and animation gave us the freedom to be more faithful to the theme of the film.” Academy Award nominees Liam Neeson and Quvenzhane Wallis provide the voices of Mustafa and Almitra in the film.
Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet opens in New York and Los Angeles on 7 August. A wider US release is set for later in the month.