“If you ever leave the settlement you’ll get lost. If you get lost you must know how to read the stars. Wherever you are, in the middle of the desert or the ocean, ask the sky for directions.”
Under a baobab tree, an old man tells a story to the children around him: The story of the everlasting friendship between Maki, a little boy aged 10, and Zarafa, an orphaned giraffe, a gift from the Pasha of Egypt to the King of France, Charles X. Hassan, Prince of the Desert, is instructed by the Pasha to deliver Zarafa to France. But Maki has made up his mind to do everything in his power to stop Hassan and bring the giraffe back to its native land. He must fulfil his promise to Zarafa's mother. During an epic journey that takes them from Sudan to Paris, passing on the way through Alexandria, Marseille and the snow-capped Alps, they have many adventures, cross paths with unusual characters and make some new friends.
“I chose 2D as a technique, since it’s a rawer, textured look and is better suited to the period. It’s also my preferred medium, allowing a rapprochement between the illustrated book and the movies. I was delighted that Rémi chose to film in cinemascope. It gave us the opportunity to get the most out of the wide open spaces and the journey in general.”
- Jean-Christophe Lie