Azur et Asmar (2006)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Michel Ocelot

Writer:

Michel Ocelot (written by)

Release Date:

25 October 2006 (Belgium)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Plot:

Once upon a time there were two children nursed by same woman. Azur, a blonde, blue-eyed son of a noblewoman and Asmar...

Plot Keywords:

Fairy | Blue Eyes | Boy | Race Differences | Surrealism

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

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: English version)
Sean Barrett	...	Le Sage Yadoa (voice: English version)
Tayeb Belmihoub	...	(voice)
Freddie Benedict	...	Asmar enfant
Frederick Benedict	...	Asmar enfant (voice: English version)
Leopold Benedict	...	Azur enfant (voice: English version)
Franck-Olivier Bonnet	...	(voice) (as Franck Olivier Bonnet)
Carlos Chahine	...	(voice) (as Carlos Chahime)
Mohamed Damraoui	...	(voice)
Suzanne David	...	La Fée des elfes (voice: English version)
Michel Elias	...	(voice)
Bouchra En Nasser	...	(voice)
Steven Kynman	...	Azur (voice: English version)
Nigel Lambert	...	Crapoux (voice: English version)
Nicolas Lormeau	...	(voice)
Tassadit Mandi	...	(voice)
Sonia Mankaï	...	(voice)
Hamid Nasser	...	(voice) (as Hamid Nasser)
Suzanna Nour	...	Jénane (voice: English version)
Mohamed Ourdache	...	(voice)
Albert Pariente	...	(voice) (as Al Pariente)
Nigel Pilkington	...	Asmar (voice: English version)
Lahcen Razzoughi	...	(voice) (as Lahcen Razzougui)
Hichem Rostom	...	(voice)
Mahmoud Said	...	(voice) (as Mahmoud Saïd)
Emma Tate	...	La Fée des djinns (voice: English version)
Myriam Tekaïa	...	(voice)
Djemal Touidjine	...	(voice)
Keith Wickham	...	Le Père (voice: English version)
Hichem Yacoubi	...	(voice)
Omar Yami	...	(voice)

Also Known As:

Azur & Asmar (USA) (trailer title)
Azur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest (UK)
Azur and Asmar (International: English title) (informal literal title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic material, some mild action and peril.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

France | Belgium | Spain | Italy

Language:

Arabic | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:Atp | Netherlands:AL | Ireland:G | USA:PG | Finland:K-3 | India:U

Company:

Nord-Ouest Productions

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.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jénane: Azur...

beautiful fairytale

I was moved to tears by this simple yet so aesthetically pleasing fairy tale. The moral of the story is not layered too thickly on top, but still there's no way round it: this is about respect, tolerance, prejudice and open-mindedness.

The oriental influence in style, music,language........is wonderfully inspiring and is a very much needed anti-dote for the negative light in which the Mediterranean cultures are usually presented.

Beautiful music (and silence!); splashes of color; a very tactile movie.

Absolutely a favorite for me and my children!