Linh2008 French Film Festival - Azur and Asmar; animated family film review
April 6th 2008 09:08
The 2008 French Film Festival has been exciting and enlightening for Australian audiences keen to experience a taste of French cinema. Most sessions have sold out days in advance, and it has a been a successful year for the French Film Festival organisers with many raving about the films premiering in Australia as part of the festival.
In Adelaide the final weekend of the festival has seen almost all screenings fully booked, but some of the films will receive a general release after the festival including The Dinner Guest and The Secret of The Grain. The 2008 French Film Festival concludes today in Adelaide and Perth.
Brotherly Love by Linh
Writer and director Michel Ocelot has created a sumptuous feast for the eyes in his first 3D animated feature film Azur and Asmar. Ocelot is bettter known for writing and directing his animated films Kirikou and the Sorceress, and has deliberately used 3D for the characters and 2D for the backgrounds to create a cartoon-like appearance rather than a mimic of reality for Azur and Asmar.
The result is a visually stunning family animated film with enchanting characters and inspired by the Arabian Nights and Sinbad adventures. The film not only includes swashbuckling action on horseback and mythical creatures, but also a message of peace and acceptance between the Middle East and the West.
In an interview for 'The List' (issue 595), Michel Ocelot explains his message of racial acceptance in his film Azur and Asmar as being part of his response to the current War on Terror: "I was thinking about the current political situation in the world even though the story takes place a few centuries ago. People think that this idea for the film was conceived after 9/11 but no, the genesis of the film started before that. We saw the Twin Towers coming down on television while we were drawing the opening scene and we had the feeling that this has to be made."
Azur and Asmar tells the story of two boys who were born at the same time, raised as brothers and become rivals in the quest for love and honour to release the beautiful Fairy Djinn.
Azur is blonde and blue-eyed and the son of a rich nobleman, while Asmar is dark haired with brown eyes and is the son of Azur's Nanny, Jénane, who raises the two boys as brothers, treating them equally and fairly. The two boys fight over most things like brothers and are enthralled with Jénane's bedtime stories about the tales of a Djinn Fairy awaiting the love of a prince to release her from an enchantment.
When Azur returns home after being sent off to boarding school, he finds Asmar and Jénane have been harshly dismissed and he sets off to find them and rescue the Djinn Fairy.
The film has a cast of wonderfully intriguing and flawed characters as well as exquisitely drawn and colour enriched scenes featuring houses, markets, gardens and the majestic interiors of Jénane's residence and Princess Chamsous Sabah's Palace.
The mythical beasts which guard the Djinn Fairy are splendid in colour, shape and movement, with the rainbow bird and blue clawed Scarlett Lion lighting up the screen with glorious hues and tones.
The magic and mysteries of the days of the Arabian Nights are blended with the timeless theme of seeking racial harmony among people of different cultures living in the same land. A striking example is Yadoa, the philosopher and tutor to Princess Chamsous Sabah, who has lived in a land where he was tormented for his differences and now resides where he is accepted despite being a foreigner.
When Azur reaches the land of the Djinn, where Jénane and Asmar now live, he also experiences intolerance and superstitious fears due to his blue eyes.
A character that has shown how being different can be advantageous is the cynical, conniving and blue-eyed beggar Crapoux who befriends Azur and helps him on his adventure to seek the Djinn Fairy. Crapoux has spent the last twenty years in the land of the Djinn, wearing thick dark glasses to hide his blue eyes, after failing on his mission to release the Djinn Fairy and spends his days lying, cheating and begging while entertaining the locals. Crapoux insults and belittles the land which has sheltered him, yet he is unusually content with life as an outcast.
Other interesting characters are the delightfully spunky young Princess Chamsous Sabah whose openminded outlook and keen curiosity is beguiling; Jénane appears as a humble Nanny in the first few scenes, yet in later scenes she is the fearless and successful merchant who is an excellent example of how acceptance and love can work wonders; Yadoa, the foreigner and descent of immigrants, is the silent achiever who works hard and minds his own business which represents the majority of people who are seeking to find a place where your identity and integrity remains intact and is accepted regardless of your race or culture.
Azur and Asmar is a film that is appealling on many different levels and covers themes of racial and religious tolerance/acceptance, respect towards women, the virtues of good manners and co-operation. An engaging and entertaining film for all ages with beautiful music from composer Gabriel Yared which adds aural texture to the sensationally lavish animation.
Director: Michel Ocelot
Writer: Michel Ocelot
Cast: Cyril Mourali - Azur adult (voice), Karim M'Riba - Asmar adult (voice), Hiam Abbass - Jenane (voice), Patrick Timsit, Crapoux (voice), Fatma Ben Khell - Princess Chamsous Sabah (voice), Rayan Mahjoub - Azur infant (voice), Abdelsselem Ben Amar - Asmar enfant (voice), Thissa d'Avila Bensalah - The Djinn Fairy (voice), Olivier Claverie - Yadoa (voice), Steven Kynman.
Producers: Patrick Juarez, Ian McIntyre, Christophe Rossignon, David Shead, Stéphane Sorlat, Viviana Turchi
Original Music: Gabriel Yared
Casting: Hiam Abbass, Gigi Akoka
Art Direction: Daniel Cacouault
Set Decoration: Anne Lise Lourdelet
Distribution: A Nord-Ouest Production, Mac Guff Ligne Studio O, France 3 Cinema, Rhone-Alpes Cinema (France)/Artemis Prods. (Belgium)/Lucky Red (Italy)/Zahorimedia.
Running time: 100 minutes
Language: French with English subtitles
In Adelaide the final weekend of the festival has seen almost all screenings fully booked, but some of the films will receive a general release after the festival including The Dinner Guest and The Secret of The Grain. The 2008 French Film Festival concludes today in Adelaide and Perth.
Brotherly Love by Linh
Writer and director Michel Ocelot has created a sumptuous feast for the eyes in his first 3D animated feature film Azur and Asmar. Ocelot is bettter known for writing and directing his animated films Kirikou and the Sorceress, and has deliberately used 3D for the characters and 2D for the backgrounds to create a cartoon-like appearance rather than a mimic of reality for Azur and Asmar.
The result is a visually stunning family animated film with enchanting characters and inspired by the Arabian Nights and Sinbad adventures. The film not only includes swashbuckling action on horseback and mythical creatures, but also a message of peace and acceptance between the Middle East and the West.
In an interview for 'The List' (issue 595), Michel Ocelot explains his message of racial acceptance in his film Azur and Asmar as being part of his response to the current War on Terror: "I was thinking about the current political situation in the world even though the story takes place a few centuries ago. People think that this idea for the film was conceived after 9/11 but no, the genesis of the film started before that. We saw the Twin Towers coming down on television while we were drawing the opening scene and we had the feeling that this has to be made."
BLACK AND WHITE: Azur and Asmar are raised as brothers in Azur and Asmar. Image: Mac Guff Ligne Studio O.
Azur and Asmar tells the story of two boys who were born at the same time, raised as brothers and become rivals in the quest for love and honour to release the beautiful Fairy Djinn.
Azur is blonde and blue-eyed and the son of a rich nobleman, while Asmar is dark haired with brown eyes and is the son of Azur's Nanny, Jénane, who raises the two boys as brothers, treating them equally and fairly. The two boys fight over most things like brothers and are enthralled with Jénane's bedtime stories about the tales of a Djinn Fairy awaiting the love of a prince to release her from an enchantment.
When Azur returns home after being sent off to boarding school, he finds Asmar and Jénane have been harshly dismissed and he sets off to find them and rescue the Djinn Fairy.
The film has a cast of wonderfully intriguing and flawed characters as well as exquisitely drawn and colour enriched scenes featuring houses, markets, gardens and the majestic interiors of Jénane's residence and Princess Chamsous Sabah's Palace.
The mythical beasts which guard the Djinn Fairy are splendid in colour, shape and movement, with the rainbow bird and blue clawed Scarlett Lion lighting up the screen with glorious hues and tones.
The magic and mysteries of the days of the Arabian Nights are blended with the timeless theme of seeking racial harmony among people of different cultures living in the same land. A striking example is Yadoa, the philosopher and tutor to Princess Chamsous Sabah, who has lived in a land where he was tormented for his differences and now resides where he is accepted despite being a foreigner.
When Azur reaches the land of the Djinn, where Jénane and Asmar now live, he also experiences intolerance and superstitious fears due to his blue eyes.
A character that has shown how being different can be advantageous is the cynical, conniving and blue-eyed beggar Crapoux who befriends Azur and helps him on his adventure to seek the Djinn Fairy. Crapoux has spent the last twenty years in the land of the Djinn, wearing thick dark glasses to hide his blue eyes, after failing on his mission to release the Djinn Fairy and spends his days lying, cheating and begging while entertaining the locals. Crapoux insults and belittles the land which has sheltered him, yet he is unusually content with life as an outcast.
Other interesting characters are the delightfully spunky young Princess Chamsous Sabah whose openminded outlook and keen curiosity is beguiling; Jénane appears as a humble Nanny in the first few scenes, yet in later scenes she is the fearless and successful merchant who is an excellent example of how acceptance and love can work wonders; Yadoa, the foreigner and descent of immigrants, is the silent achiever who works hard and minds his own business which represents the majority of people who are seeking to find a place where your identity and integrity remains intact and is accepted regardless of your race or culture.
Azur and Asmar is a film that is appealling on many different levels and covers themes of racial and religious tolerance/acceptance, respect towards women, the virtues of good manners and co-operation. An engaging and entertaining film for all ages with beautiful music from composer Gabriel Yared which adds aural texture to the sensationally lavish animation.
VISUAL DELIGHT: Jénane and Azur in her beautiful garden. Image: Mac Guff Ligne Studio O.
Director: Michel Ocelot
Writer: Michel Ocelot
Cast: Cyril Mourali - Azur adult (voice), Karim M'Riba - Asmar adult (voice), Hiam Abbass - Jenane (voice), Patrick Timsit, Crapoux (voice), Fatma Ben Khell - Princess Chamsous Sabah (voice), Rayan Mahjoub - Azur infant (voice), Abdelsselem Ben Amar - Asmar enfant (voice), Thissa d'Avila Bensalah - The Djinn Fairy (voice), Olivier Claverie - Yadoa (voice), Steven Kynman.
Producers: Patrick Juarez, Ian McIntyre, Christophe Rossignon, David Shead, Stéphane Sorlat, Viviana Turchi
Original Music: Gabriel Yared
Casting: Hiam Abbass, Gigi Akoka
Art Direction: Daniel Cacouault
Set Decoration: Anne Lise Lourdelet
Distribution: A Nord-Ouest Production, Mac Guff Ligne Studio O, France 3 Cinema, Rhone-Alpes Cinema (France)/Artemis Prods. (Belgium)/Lucky Red (Italy)/Zahorimedia.
Running time: 100 minutes
Language: French with English subtitles
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