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HIGHLIGHTS DAY THREE: ANIMATED FILMS

Dec 03, 2014

Ajyal Day 3 offers you a once-only opportunity to watch an absolutely incredible animated film from Brazil. With this in mind, here are highlights of the dazzling animated films that are showing during the Fsstival:

We bid farewell to Qatar-Brazil 2014, a year of cultural exchange with Brazil, with this outstanding film. Winner of several international prizes, The Boy and the World (PG-13) uses a stunning array of animation techniques and draws inspiration from 19th and 20th century art to tell of a boy’s journey into a hostile world to reunite with his father. The film tackles modern issues like mass consumption, social repression, the industrial revolution and the global economy, and its emotional impact and visual mastery will capture your eyes, mind and heart. This Qatar Year of Culture Cinema Showcase also passes the cultural torch to Turkey, next year’s celebrated nation, with the wonderful short film Ice Cream. One screening only – 3 December.

Song of the Sea (PG) – Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Tomm Moore (who also contributed an animated segment to ‘Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet’ – see below) delivers a dazzling fairytale inspired by the Irish legend of the Selkies, enchanted creatures who live as seals in the water and as humans on land. With its lush visuals, haunting soundtrack and keen sense of atmosphere, this gorgeously crafted animation is bound to delight children and adults alike. Screening once only on 4 December.

The Tale of Princess Kaguya (PG-13) – If you love Japanese anime, this film is a must-see! From acclaimed director Isao Takahata (who co-founded the legendary Studio Ghibli with Hayao Miyazaki) comes the wonderful story of a baby girl with magical powers found in the folds of a bamboo shoot and destined to become a princess. One screening only – 6 December. Free entry for the first 70 people who show up in anime costume!

Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet (PG) – Aided by nine acclaimed animation artists from all over the world, and a magnificent score by Academy Award winner Gabriel Yared, Academy Award-nominated writer-director Roger Allers (Disney’s ‘The Lion King’), has turned one of the bestselling books of the 20th century into a beautiful and charming animated fairytale, certain to bring Gibran’s beloved poetry to a new generation of admirers. The film, produced and voiced by Selma Hayek-Pinault, closes Ajyal on 6 December.

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