'Muhammad: The Messenger of God' comes to silver screen

The Turkish premiere of "Muhammad: The Messenger of God," an account of the childhood of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) as well as the birth of Islam, took place on Tuesday night at Kanyon Shopping Mall.

Co-written by Kambuzia Partovi and the acclaimed Iranian-director Majid Majidi and directed also by Majidi, the film portrays the life of Muhammad until age 13, along with a portrayal of the religious and social atmosphere in Mecca at the time. The film that features Academy Award-winning Vittorio Storaro as the cinematographer, is the second film on Prophet Muhammad following Moustapha Akkad's 1977 film "The Message."

The filming process took five years and studios, which may be used for a further 40 years, were erected in Mecca and Medina. Budgeted for $30 million and completed in 2015, the film stars Sareh Bayat, Mohsen Tanabandeh, Rana Azadivar, Ali Reza Shoja-nuri and Mina Sadati in the lead roles. Majidi's anticipated film "Muhammad: The Messenger of God" hits the silver screen today.