Hayek makes ancestral Lebanese trip
Salma Hayek has visited Lebanon, her ancestral homeland, for the international premiere of the animated feature film The Prophet, which she co-produced.
It has been a personal passion project, one she hopes can inspire young viewers to think outside the box about ways to improve the world.
The film was written and directed by Roger Allers, the maker of the Disney production The Lion King.
“I think the whole world could use a little bit of message of peace, and more than a message of peace, to watch something that’s uplifting for the spirit and joyous, and that you can share with your family, “ Hayek said as she walked down the red carpet for the movie premiere in a downtown Beirut cinema complex.
The film tells the story of Almitra, a young girl who finds the voice she lost through her friendship with Mustafa, a poet imprisoned for his ideas. Hayek also provides the voice of the girl’s mother, Kamila.
The story is based on The Prophet, a book written in 1923 by iconic Lebanese writer Khalil Gibran that has inspired generations of artists.
The book, a series of poems about love, joy, sorrow, and work, has been translated into at least 40 languages and has never been out of print.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Hayek, whose paternal grandparents are Lebanese, described the film as “a love letter to my heritage” that will hopefully encourage new generations to think differently.
“Through this book I got to know my grandfather. Through this book I got to have my grandfather teaching me about life. So it is a very personal movie for me,” Hayek told reporters in Beirut ahead of the movie’s premiere.
“It encourages the new generation to go somewhere else to break out of the box” to change the world, she said.
Hayek’s 7-year-old daughter, Valentina, and her father accompanied her on her first trip to Lebanon.
“This has been the most amazing trip. I was not prepared for how emotional it was going to be for my family to be here,” she said.
