Why is The Little Prince the most translated non-religious text ever? A new doc finds its heart
Lise Hosein | CBC Arts | Posted: December 6, 2018 4:30 PM | Last Updated: December 6, 2018
In his new documentary, Charles Officer gives you a glimpse into what makes The Little Prince so special
The Little Prince is a short novel about a displaced boy from another planet who forms close friendships and negotiates sadness — all weighty concepts for tiny readers. It's the kind of book you get something different from reading as a kid than you do as an adult. It's also the most-translated non-religious text ever (just to give you a sense of how much it's meant to a lot of people).
In his new documentary produced in collaboration with the CBC called Invisible Essence: The Little Prince, Charles Officer looks at the way the 1943 book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry has traversed decades and cultures to remain an evocative tool for learning about your own heart. And he introduces Sahil, a young boy who finds his own way through The Little Prince.
Watch the video:
In this video made by filmmakers Istoica, Officer gives you a glimpse into what makes The Little Prince so special — and why it still means so much to him today. As he explains: "This book resonated with me from the first time I read it when I was 21, and I just felt that in our time right now it wouldn't hurt for us to revisit this book. And I believe when it comes full circle, it is about our connections and our relationships that matter the most."
Catch Invisible Essence: The Little Prince on CBC's documentary Channel on Monday, December 17 at 8 p.m. ET and PT. The movie opens in theatres March 8th in Toronto at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema.
Stream CBC Arts: Exhibitionists or catch it on CBC Television Friday nights at 11:30pm (12am NT) and Sundays at 3:30pm (4pm NT). Watch more videos here.