Azur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest (2006)
"Azur et Asmar" (original title)

Once upon a time there were two children nursed by same woman. Azur, a blonde, blue-eyed son of a noblewoman and Asmar, the dark skinned and dark-eyed child of the nurse. As kids, they ... See full summary »

Director:

Michel Ocelot

Writer:

Michel Ocelot

Stars:

Cyril Mourali, Karim M'Riba, Hiam Abbass

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Cyril Mourali	...	Azur (voice)
Karim M'Riba	...	Asmar (voice)
Hiam Abbass	...	Jénane (voice)
Patrick Timsit	...	Crapoux (voice)
Rayan Mahjoub	...	Azur enfant (voice)
Abdelsselem Ben Amar	...	Asmar enfant (voice)
Fatma Ben Khell	...	La Princesse Chamsous Sabah (voice) (as Fatma Ben Khelil)
Thissa d'Avila Bensalah	...	La Fée des djinns (voice) (as Tissa Bensalah d'Avila)
Sofia Boutella	...	La Fée des elfes (voice)
Olivier Claverie	...	Le Sage Yadoa (voice)
Jacques Pater	...	Le Père (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Imogen Bailey	...	La Princesse Chamsous Sabah (voice)
Sean Barrett	...	Le Sage Yadoa (voice)
Tayeb Belmihoub	...	(voice)
Freddie Benedict	...	Asmar enfant (voice) (as Frederick Benedict)

Storyline

Once upon a time there were two children nursed by same woman. Azur, a blonde, blue-eyed son of a noblewoman and Asmar, the dark skinned and dark-eyed child of the nurse. As kids, they fought and loved each other as brothers do. As grown ups, they mercilessly become rivals in the quest years later, when Azur is being haunted by memories of the legendary Djinn-fairy, and takes it upon himself to journey all the way to Asmar's homeland to seek it out. Now reunited, he finds that she has since become a successful merchant, while Asmar is now a member of the royal guard. However, Asmar also longs to find the Djinn-fairy, and only one of the two youths can be successful in their quest.

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Plot Keywords:

fairy | blue eyes | surrealism | tolerance | fable | 

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic material, some mild action and peril

Details

Official Sites:

Diaphana [fr] Dionet [es]

Country:

France Belgium Spain Italy

Language:

Arabic French

Release Date:

25 October 2006 (France)

Also Known As:

Azur & Asmar

Box Office

Budget:

€9,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nord-Ouest Productions, Mac Guff Ligne, Studio O

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Trademark: [Michel Ocelot] [silhouettes] A woman singing under a canopy is seen only in profile, rendered as a solid black silhouette. Later, when Azur and Chamsous Sabah climb a tree to get an overview of the city, they and the branches of the tree are similarly silhouetted against the blue twilight sky.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jénane: Azur...

User Reviews

Fantastic - a visual and intellectual tour de force

This movie has it all for all ages - eye-popping visuals, perfect subject independence, gorgeous music and it is chock-full of wonderful messages and story-telling for everyone.

The richness in the images is equaled by the richness of the subject matter: a story rewarding curiosity, fidelity and bravery deals with the excitement of discovering little-known cultures, eras, religions, foods, habits of dress, languages, music and the other sex...

The trailer and the brief description by the distributor hardly do this piece of magic justice. A must-see as soon as it becomes available near you.