Azur et Asmar (2006)

Raised by the same woman, the dark-complexioned, Asmar, and the flaxen-haired, Azur, set out on a quest to a strange and magical land to liberate the enchanting Djinn-fairy; but, only one can save her. Will the brothers be triumphant?

Director:

Michel Ocelot

Writer:

Michel Ocelot

Stars:

Cyril Mourali, Karim M'Riba, Hiam Abbass

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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)
Tayeb Belmihoub	...	(voice)
Franck-Olivier Bonnet	...	(voice) (as Franck Olivier Bonnet)
Carlos Chahine	...	(voice) (as Carlos Chahime)
Mohamed Damraoui	...	(voice)

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 | breast feeding | genie | tolerance | 

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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 [France] Dionet [Spain]

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...

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Soundtracks

La Chanson D'Azur Et Asmar (V F)
Acoustic Guitar and vocals by Souad Massi
Composed by Gabriel Yared

User Reviews

It captivates adults.

In Valladolid, Spain, the serious movie-goers with extremely high standards when they evaluate movies applauded the film in the Fifty-First International Film Week (SEMINCI 2006). It is impossible to exceed in every way: The theme and story, the incredible cartoon drawings, the luscious colors and their combinations, the endearing characters, the creativity, the stunning difficulty of the sketching and the music and sounds of the languages involved all combine to offer us a memorable film. It may seem curious but the word that I voiced when it ended was DELICIOUS. There are so many impacting images that linger even now in my mind's eye.