Salma Hayek launches 'The Prophet' in ancestral Lebanon

Hollywood star Salma Hayek, in her ancestral homeland Lebanon for the first time, launched the global premiere of her animated adaptation of Kahlil Gibran's celebrated novel "The Prophet" on April 27.

The Mexican actress and director described the movie version of the Lebanese author's spiritually-uplifting book as a "love letter to my heritage".
 
She said the adaptation, which features an all-star cast, was a "personal film" because her Lebanese grandfather loved The Prophet.
 
"Through this book, I got to know my grandfather. Through this book, I had my grandfather teaching me about life," said the star, who has been in Lebanon since Friday.
 
The Prophet, now in its 163rd edition, is widely considered the second most-read book in the world, after the Bible.
 
The movie adaptation, screened in Beirut on Monday evening, features the voices of Hayek, along with actors Liam Neeson, Alfred Molina and Frank Langella.
 
A collection of poems and prose, originally written in English, The Prophet has been translated into more than 40 languages since its first publication in 1923.
 
It tells the story of Almustafa, who before returning to his homeland, speaks to residents of the city of Orphalese about different aspects of life -- love, work, children, friendship and death.
 
The movie is entirely animated, with dream-like fantasy sequences as Almustafa -- called simply Mustafa in the film -- shares his wisdom before being expelled by authorities because of his rebellious poetry.
 
Divided into 26 chapters, verses from "The Prophet" are often quoted at births, weddings and funerals around the world.
 
"Your children are not your children, they come through you but not from...