Salma Hayek launches ‘The Prophet’ in ancestral Lebanon

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.

Original article by Rana Moussaoui