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Gift of The Hoopoe (هدية هدهد) is a 2009 Saudi Arabian-American Animated Short film by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, produced by Saudi Aramco. The film was written by Steven L. Sears, and stars Sadiq Al-Dubais, Aber Al-Jendi, and Abd Al Nasser Al-Zayer. Although Don Bluth is credited as director, he left the project and was asked not to be credited as a director. Regardless, he was still credited along with Gary Goldman as Co-directors on the project. The film centers around two kids kids being magically drawn into a fantasy world of imagination, where they learn that little changes in life can lead to great things happening in the future. The film is about 30 Minutes long and premiered on the 4th of October 2009 in the United Arab Emirates, as a Saudi Arabian festival film.

Plot
A family of four are walking through the festival of tradition, the siblings arguing with each other as their parents walk alongside them. The little boy, Bader, lets go of his paper bag. His sister, Sarah, scolds him for littering, as they watch the paper bag fly away. Suddenly, the paper bag flies into the face of an elderly woman which hinders her sight for a split second. Meanwhile, a speeding car is hastily approaching the woman. The father rushes to push her out of the car's way. He does so successfully, without the woman experiencing any harm. The elderly woman thanks the family for saving her life with a gift for the kids. She gifts them with a book called The Book of Hoopoe. As soon as she gave them the book, she left. The family are stunned by the oddness of the situation. They arrive home, the father expressing excitement over the new addition in his book collection. The mother starts scolding Sarah for wasting water, as she urges them to put down their phones. Bader questions the point of school, stating that he already knows what he wants to be when he grows up. As the kids head off to finish their homework, the father hands them their gift of The Book of Hoopoe. The parents express worry over their children, wishing that they would appreciate things more, rather than always being involved in their phones. The kids are on their computers and phones, when suddenly Sarah notices something odd about the book. In its position on the floor, she thought she saw it move. As she alerts her brother, Bader, of it, the book suddenly starts spinning into the air above them. The book flies all around the room and then lands in front of the kids as a bird emerges from it. The bird introduces itself as Hud Hud, a Hoopoe bird. The kids are stunned and cannot believe that the bird has come out of the book. Bader challenges Hud Hud to find at least three stories about them. The bird urges them closer, and to let go of their phones to pay attention. As the kids come closer to the book, the Hoopoe starts telling them about the story of the Donkey and the Mule, the picture in the book starts to move. The bird explained how the mule was selfish, and how that applies to the kids' behaviors lately. Hud Hud transport them to the park that their father volunteered to fix up, and showed how it would look if no one had volunteered to speak up for the environment. Then they learn about the story of the Ant and the Grasshopper, which teaches them the importance of school and balancing work and play. Then they learn about the story of the North Wind and the Sun. This last story teaches Sarah the importance of tolerance, and more aware of who she befriends. As the Hoopoe leaves the kids realize it is their time to be the storyteller. We later learn that the hoopoe was in fact the elderly woman they saved earlier that day.

Cast

 * Sadiq Al-Dubais as Fahad
 * Aber Al-Jendi as Nourah
 * Abd Al Nasser Al-Zayer	as Donkey
 * McKyley Bork as Sarah (as McKyley A. Bork)
 * Jessica Bradford as Hoopoe & Old Woman / Fable Voices
 * Eileen Galindo	as Nourah (as Cecelia Gallin)
 * Cecelia Gallin	as Nourah
 * Moorea Henn as Bader (Motion Capture)
 * Christy Matthewson as Fahad
 * Samah Mohammad	as Hoopoe (Arabic)
 * Balqis M. Momani as Sarah (Arabic)
 * Saba M. Momani	as Bader (Arabic)
 * Noor Alhuda Sabri as Mule, Sun & Wind
 * Eric Unger as Bader

Production
Bluth and Goldman have previous experience in Animation, having directed films like Anastasia (1997) released in 1997, and The Land Before Time in 1988. In 2009, Bluth was approached to deliver storyboards for, and to coordinate, the 30-minute Saudi Arabian film Gift of the Hoopoe. He at last had little involvement in the movement and substance of the movie and asked that he not be credited as the executive or director of the film because of this. In any case, he was credited as the the co-director along side Gary Goldman, most probably to help promote the film and increase its ticket sales. Bluth addressed these claims himself in his blog: "Recently, I was commissioned by a friend to participate in the making of a festival film for Saudi Arabia called The Gift of the Hoopoe. At the time, I was only asked to produce storyboards but as the work progressed, I was later asked to direct the 30 minute piece. Knowing how things can turn out if one is not cautious, I asked this friend that my name not be credited as the Director or Producer. Furthermore, there were many Directors' voices rising up out of Saudi Arabia so that I had virtually no control over the content as well as the art of the film. Much to my surprise, the film has been completed and I have been given artistic credit as its Director. Defineatly, I can state both Gary Goldman and myself were not the parents of this film, neither Directing or Producing." The film was recorded in both English and Arabic. Speaking in Arabic is 20% longer than English so motion-capture work was required to be captured against the longer Arabic dialogue in the film. However, it was hard to find motion-capture talent that was fluent in Arabic in Hollywood. Thus trained dancers were hired to act out the whole story to a click track of "counts of eight".

Release
The film was released in the United Arab Emirates on the 4th of October 2009. It had no known global release, and the film is available to watch on Youtube and Vimeo.