This official Kahlil Gibran biography will be the first major theatrical feature to tell the story of how a poor Lebanese boy, from a remote mountain village, came with his family to America, and became a global literary figure and artist.
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
--T.S. Eliot
More than eighty years after his death, Kahlil Gibran's name and life story remain in relative obscurity, despite the epic success of his writing and art. Gibran's timeless message crosses cultural divides and relates to mass audiences as much today as it did during his lifetime. As a result, his most notable work, a book of essays titled, The Prophet, has been translated into more than 40 languages and has never been out of print. It has sold more than 100 million copies. After Shakespeare and Lao Tzu, Gibran is the most widely-read poet in history, and yet his captivating life story has remained largely untold to mass audiences for nearly a century. This official Kahlil Gibran biography will be the first major theatrical feature to tell the story of how a poor Lebanese boy, from a remote mountain village, came with his family to America, and became a global literary figure and artist.
The Producer's Option from the Gibran National Committee (GNC) in Lebanon grants the production the exclusive feature film rights to tell the life story of famed Lebanese author and artist, Kahlil Gibran, with the authorization and authority of the GNC. Kahlil Gibran is best known for his iconic series of prose poems, embodied in The Prophet, but he was also a prolific painter and author of many other works, including extensive correspondence that illuminates his artistic and romantic self. He lived in the early twentieth-century in Lebanon, Boston, Paris and New York. His work emphasized "unity in diversity" through internationalism and respect for various cultures and religions, as well as his own spiritual vision and support for the rights of women. One of Gibran's most recognizable statements on service, was echoed by JFK in his 1961 Presidential Inaugural Address. When emphasizing human rights and freedom around the world, recalling the earlier words of Gibran, JFK said "ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country." Gibran's words and works remain timely beacons for the world today, as this film will explore.
