Bilal

Directors: Khurram H Alavi, Ayman Jamal

Writer: Ayman Jamal

Production company: Barajoun Entertainment

United Arab Emirates, 109 mins

Bilal is the debut of Dubai-based Barajoun Entertainment, and the first animated feature film to come out of the United Arab Emirates. In a mythical desert kingdom rendered in careful detail, a young slave strives for freedom. With spectacular set pieces and a sweeping scope, Bilalstarts off on the right foot for a debut effort.

In a mythical desert land, we meet our protagonist Bilal (voiced by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) as a young boy and wannabe warrior who is sold into slavery with his sister after faraway raiders invade his family’s village. His strong will both enrages and impresses his master, the sadistic merchant Umayya (Ian McShane). Bilal, haunted by nightmares and plagued by doubts, is determined to be free and fulfill his dead mother’s enduring wish – that all humanity is equal “as brothers”. The story will have extra resonance in the Middle East for those familiar with Bilal ibn Rabah, on whose life Bilal was loosely based. In Islam ibn Rabah was a former African slave who became one of the companions of the prophet Mohammed, he has long been a symbol of tolerance and racial equality.

But before Bilal can attain freedom, he must cast off the chains that bind him on the inside. As he and his friends come of age and learn to fight, Bilal realizes that the roots of true strength are difficult to find, but that they are unshakeable, even in near-death. A recurring motif of a leaf budding in the desert conveys this nicely – life emerges from apparent desolation and manages to flourish.

This is contrasted with the conspicuous decadence of the wealthy merchants, who worship only money. A roly-poly slave trader with a gigantic toothy smile is an entertaining supporting character among their numbers. A compassionate priest secretly takes Bilal under his tutelage, and he learns that the merchants are themselves slaves – to greed, power, and fear. Although the tone is light-hearted this is a film that grapples with some big questions. The comic relief comes from a bumbling supporting cast and physical comedy, instead of the ironic pop-culture quips common to American fare.

The setting of the film is a technical challenge for co-directors Khurram Alavi and Ayman Jamal, who set out to populate an epic Arabian Nights-style kingdom. It is filled with colourful, bustling cities, deserts and grand landscapes. The quality of the art and animation is in general excellent. The desert scenes stand out for their detail and diversity, with never the same colour sunset twice. In one memorable dream sequence, Bilal is wandering through a windswept desert but looks down and realizes he is made of sand, just as a demon prepares to emerge from the ground.

Bilal evokes animated blockbusters but manages to avoid being an imitator. Even though the story follows the standard Hollywood beats for an action flick, this is a film that bears the imprint of where it was made in the UAE. This sense of place is subtle – the ever-changing deserts, for example — but nonetheless present and welcome. For Western audiences unfamiliar with the real-life Bilal, the film will be something different.

Feature animation of this scale is still in its infancy in the Middle East. As animation production becomes more globalized, it will be interesting to see how Barajoun and other new players develop. In the years to come will they produce variations on standard animated blockbusters or will they develop distinct creative voices of their own? Bilal is an encouraging sign that many new creative frontiers lie ahead.

Bilal premieres at Animation Day in Cannes on May 18, and is set for a fall 2016 theatrical release.