Directed by Shizuno Kobon, the film tells an epic tale about the ancient civilizations of the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East, and establishes a historical fantasy for future generations.
Saudi-Japanese anime The Journey, produced by Manga Productions, a subsidiary of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s MiSK Foundation, premiered in Hong Kong premiere on the sidelines of the Asia MENA Culture Technology Economic Collaboration Forum.
The film, co-produced by Manga Productions and Japan’s Toei Animation, is the first animated collaboration between the two Asian countries.
The premiere on December 19 was attended by government representatives, Middle Eastern diplomats, entertainment industry leaders and journalists from Chinese news outlets.
Directed by Shizuno Kobun, The Journey was shot using anime-style animation and took two-and-a-half years to make.
The Journey has been shown in several Asian countries, including Malaysia, Japan and Indonesia.
Manga Productions, Salon Films and Digital Daylight Animation have agreed on an exclusive deal to distribute The Journey in Asia.
As part of the premiere and in a step to strengthen the relationship between Saudi Arabia and China, Manga Productions and Hong Kong film production company Salon Films signed a memorandum of understanding to provide internship opportunities for young Saudi talent in distribution, film production and film financing.
Commenting on this partnership, Essam Bukhary, CEO of Manga Productions and executive producer of The Journey, said: “We aim to build a unique friendship with our partners in China within the distribution market in the creative content field and the development of talents. Multiple Saudi generations have enjoyed Chinese films, and it is time for us to share Saudi content, starting with ‘The Journey,’ which was able to record outstanding successes, leaving a Saudi footprint in the creative content industry in various world markets.”
Salon Films Chairman Fred Wang said: “We are delighted to be part of the Asian distribution of The Journey and to share this unique anime film with audiences in different Asian territories. We believe more exciting and innovative content will be produced during the next few years with more collaborations between Asia and the Middle East.”
Inspired by Arabian folklore, The Journey tells the story of Aws, a potter with a secret past, who is caught up in an epic battle to defend his city. Japanese dubbing artists include well-renowned names in the Japanese region such as Toru Furuya, Takaya Kuroda and Hiroshi Kimiya, while the Arabic version has been dubbed by artists such as Abdu Shaheen, Rasha Rizq and Nassar AlNassar.
