The Prophet

Kamila is a widowed mother working as the housekeeper for the charismatic Mustafa – a poet and political activist being held under house arrest. But it seems the commotion in her mother’s daily routine is created by her rebellious and taciturn daughter Almitra. The girl’s repressed frustration only begins to lessen when she meets the wise Mustafa. Almitra is fascinated by Mustafa’s quiet demeanour and receptive to his convictions, even if she is unable to completely grasp their meaning. So on the day of his release, the mother and daughter escort the poet together with the soldier guarding him on a journey from the mountain hut to the ship which will supposedly take Mustafa to his home country. Every encounter along the way inspires Mustafa to create a poem, explaining the spirit of human existence. Mustafa’s nine wisdoms, ranging in topics from marriage, freedom, work, death as well as good and evil, frame his journey and result in a kaleidoscopic whirl of pictures. Nine of the most renowned and passionate animators, who could not be more diverse (including Bill Plympton and Tomm Moore), kindle longings in aquarelle, claymation and finger paints, while Damien Rice and Glen Hansard provide for the musical backdrop. Liam Neeson’s gentle voice as Mustafa, Salma Hayek’s irrepressible energy as the producer (and the voice of Kamila) and the expertise of filmmaker Roger Allers (“The Lion King”) do visible justice to the literary masterpiece by Kahlil Gibran, author of “The Prophet”, and its countless interpretations. “The Prophet” celebrated its world premiere in Cannes and was screened at the international film festivals in Toronto, New York and Annecy, among others. (ns)