Peace By Chocolate family’s story turning into animated film

CITYnewshalifax / By Natasha O’Neill

An iconic Nova Scotia family and business’ story will become an animated feature film.

Peace By Chocolate owner, Tareq Hadhad said in a social media post that the project will be telling the family’s story of moving from Damascus, Syria, to Nova Scotia. The movie will be called Shokolata and produced by Rising Tides Films, a company focused on telling “untold diverse stories.”

“At a time when so many of the stories we see can leave us feeling quite hopeless, our goal is for our story to inspire and spread peace,” Hadhad said. “We are proud of where we come from. We are proud of where we are. We are proud of where we are headed.”

The production company has worked on several projects, according to Hadhad, like Shrek 2, Prince of Egypt, Madagascar and Trolls. It is behind shows such as The Island of Bryan, Property Brothers and Big Brother Canada.

“My family and I are beyond grateful for all of you for the support over the years to reach this milestone, and we cannot wait for the world to experience this wonderful film with us,” Hadhad said.

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This would be the second movie made about the family, following Peace By Chocolate, which shows their struggle as refugees before settling into Nova Scotia.

Hadhad’s father owned a chocolate factory in Damascus. It was bombed in 2012, and the family was forced to flee Syria for Lebanon, where they spent the next three years in a refugee camp. Hadhad arrived in Canada in late 2015 and was followed by his siblings and parents a month later.

Sponsored by a group in Antigonish, they settled in the community and soon restarted the family business, launching Peace by Chocolate in 2016.

The company has garnered worldwide attention, and it’s now a thriving and iconic business in the town.

“Humanity is stronger than hate, and kindness can rebuild what war and conflict break,” Hadhad said.

Clips from the animated movie, Shokolata. (Tareq Hadhad/ X)