Annecy Is Hosting “The Prophet”
Skwigly
Producer Salma Hayek called on 9 of the biggest names in animation to work on the film and will be in Annecy for the premiere of The Prophet at the Festival’s opening ceremony on Monday 15th June.
The Prophet
On the imaginary island of Orphalese, a mischievous and mute 8-year-old girl named Almitra fortuitously meets Mustafa, a political prisoner under house arrest, and they form an unlikely friendship. But on the day that they meet, the government tells Mustafa that he is finally free and soldiers quickly escort him to a boat that will take him back home.
On the way, Mustafa shares his poems and views on existence with the people of Orphalese while Almitra secretly follows him. At each step along the way, she dreams up sumptuous landscapes that illustrate his words. When the little girl learns that the government has plans to kill Mustafa, she decides to try anything to help him.
Roger Allers and Bjarne Hansen
Director Roger Allers (The Lion King) and artistic director Bjarne Hansen created the animation style for the storyline, while artists from around the world elaborated and directed the eight segments illustrating the poems of Khalil Gibran.
In the Presence of Salma Hayek
“Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet has been read by more than 120 million people all over the world, so it was a real challenge for me to adapt it to… animation. I decided to get help from nine of the best animation directors around (Tomm Moore, Michal Socha, Joan Gratz, Nina Paley Bill Plympton, Joann Sfar, Mohammed Harib and Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi), each one was completely free to imagine a story based around the poems” Salma Hayek
You can hear more about the films in competition, screening events and the programme of meetings and the Mifa at the press conference in Paris on 28th April and read about them in the Press Kit, online the 29th April.