Trancas International and Front Row Filmed Entertainment have announced that the 4K restoration of Moustapha Akkads masterpiece The Message will have a special event release for the Eid al-Fitr holiday starting on June 14, 2018, also marking the 40th anniversary of the film’s original release. The Oscar nominated film from producer/director Moustapha Akkad chronicles the […]
Trancas International and Front Row Filmed Entertainment have announced that the 4K restoration of Moustapha Akkads masterpiece The Message will have a special event release for the Eid al-Fitr holiday starting on June 14, 2018, also marking the 40th anniversary of the film’s original release.
The Oscar nominated film from producer/director Moustapha Akkad chronicles the life and times of Prophet Muhammad and serves as an introduction to early Islamic history.
Director Moustapha Akkad shot the film simultaneously both in English and Arabic with two different casts to appeal to both audiences. Both versions have been restored and now for the first time can be watched in English or Arabic when they are released theatrically in the MENA region during Eid-Al-Fitr 2018, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
The English version, which received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score, starred two-time Oscar winning actor Anthony Quinn, Irene Papas and Damien Thomas, as the central characters.
The Arabic version features some of the biggest names in Arabic cinema including the late acclaimed Egyptian actor Abdallah Gheith and the legendary Syrian stage, television and film actress Mouna Wasef.
On the film and the restoration, Trancas Malek Akkad said:I am thrilled to pay tribute to my late fathers film with this definitive digital restoration release showcasing The Message in all its pristine big screen glory. I would like to thank the team at Front Row for their support and working with us to bring the film back into the spotlight again. It is now more important than ever to share our cultural patrimonies and present a true image and understanding of Islam and Arabs that acknowledges the unity and diversity in humanity. I hope audiences will join us to celebrate my fathers masterpiece experiencing it again or for the first time but now in stunning 4K.
Gianluca Chakra, Head of Front Row Filmed Entertainment commented: Front Row in collaboration with Trancas are proud to present the masterfully restored classic The Message in both Arabic and English, an undisputed cinematic landmark to audiences this Eid. Profound and brilliantly acted, the film remains an entertaining, exquisite and compelling experience, as moving and relevant as it was on the day of its original release.
The Message will be screened in both Arabic and English across the UAE on Eid al-Fitr weekend from June 14 16, 2018.
