Azur And Asmar - A French Film By Michel Ocelot

The French Embassy, in association with Alliance Francaise Hyderabad and Unifrance, is presenting Rendez-vous With French Cinema, from 4th to 7th February, at Prasads Multiplex. This festival will showcase the latest productions of an innovative, diverse and dynamic French film industry, in 5 Indian cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. It will be an important moment in the Indo-French cultural relationship, for which cinema is one of the strongest underpinning ties.

Today, the inaugural day, Azur & Asmar, an animation film, will be screened at 8pm. The film is directed by Michel Ocelot, and has the voices of Karim M'Ribah, Cyril Mourali, Hiam Abbass, Patrick Timsit, Fatma Ben Khell, Rayan Mahjoub and Abdelsselem Ben Amar.

Once upon a time, two children were raised by the same nanny: Azur, blonde and blue-eyed, son of the Lord of the castle, and Asmar, dark-skinned and black-eyed, the nanny's child. Brought up like brothers, the children are suddenly torn apart.

Azur, haunted by the legend of the Fairy of the Djinn which his nanny used to tell him, intends to find her in lands beyond the seas. When they grow up, the two foster brothers go their separate ways in search of the fairy. Daring rivals, they find magic lands in a medieval Maghreb, full of dangers and enchantments.

There will be English subtitles, and entry is by invitations only, available at the Alliance Francaise office at West Marredpally. Please contact 2770-0734/2770-0736 for further details.