Abderrahmane Sissako (Arabic: عبد الرحمن سيساكو; born 13 October 1961) is a Mauritanian-born Malian film director and producer. His film Waiting for Happiness (Heremakono) was screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival official selection under Un Certain Regard,[1] winning a FIPRESCI Prize. His 2006 film Bamako received much attention. Sissako's themes include globalisation, exile and the displacement of people. His 2014 film Timbuktu was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival[2] and nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.[3]

Abderrahmane Sissako
Sissako at the 2016 César award
Born (1961-10-13) 13 October 1961 (age 62)
NationalityMauritanian
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter, producer

Biography edit

Soon after his birth Sissako's family emigrated to Mali, his father's country, where he completed part of his primary and secondary education. Sissako returned briefly to Mauritania, his mother's land, in 1980. Then he left for Moscow, where he studied cinema at the VGIK (Federal State Film Institute) from 1983 to 1989. Sissako settled in France at the beginning of the 1990s.

Besides his work as a director, he also worked as a cultural Advisor for former head of state Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.[4]

Sissako is married to the Ethiopian film director Maji-da Abdi.[5]

In December 2023, alongside 50 other filmmakers, Sissako signed an open letter published in Libération demanding a ceasefire and an end to the killing of civilians amid the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, and for a humanitarian corridor into Gaza to be established for humanitarian aid, and the release of hostages.[6][7][8]

Filmography edit

Year Title Role Notes
1990 Sex et perestroïka Assistant director Directed by François Jouffa & Francis Leroi
1991 Le jeu Director & Writer Short
1993 Oktyabr Director & Writer Short
1995 Petite météorologie ou Sept histoires de temps Actor Short directed by Charles Castella
Molom, conte de Mongolie Production designer Directed by Marie-Jaoul de Poncheville
1997 Africa Dreaming Director TV series (1 Episode)
Documenta X - Die Filme Director Directed with Charles Burnett, Harun Farocki and Aleksandr Sokurov
Rostov-Luanda Director & Writer Documentary
Namur International Festival of French-Speaking Film - Best Documentary Award - Special Mention
1998 La Vie Sur Terre Director, Writer & Actor San Francisco International Film Festival - Golden Spire
Fribourg International Film Festival - Ecumenical Jury Award
Fribourg International Film Festival - FIPRESCI Prize - Special Mention
Fribourg International Film Festival - Grand Prix
Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou - Air Afrique Special Award
Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou - INALCO Award
Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou - Special Mention
Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou - TELCIPRO Award - Feature Film
Taormina Film Fest - Silver Charybdis
2002 Waiting for Happiness Director & Writer Cannes Film Festival - Foreign Cineaste of the Year
Cannes Film Festival - FIPRESCI Prize
Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema - Best Film
Gijón International Film Festival - Special Jury Award
Namur International Festival of French-Speaking Film - Youth Jury Emile Cantillon Award
Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou - Grand Prize - Etalon de Yennega
Paris Biennal of Arab Cinema - IMA Grand Prize
Nominated - Gijón International Film Festival - Grand Prix Asturias - Best Feature
Nominated - Namur International Festival of French-Speaking Film - Golden Bayard - Best Film
Abouna Executive producer Directed by Mahamat Saleh Haroun
2003 Le silence de la forêt Producer Directed by Bassek Ba Kobhio & Didier Ouenangare
Malenkie lyudi Producer Directed by Nariman Turebaev
2006 Bamako Director, Writer, Producer & Actor Lumières Award for Best French-Language Film
International Istanbul Film Festival - FACE Award
Festival Paris Cinéma - Audience Award
Daratt Producer Directed by Mahamat Saleh Haroun
2008 8 Director & Writer Directed with Jane Campion, Gael García Bernal, Jan Kounen, Mira Nair, Gaspar Noé, Gus Van Sant & Wim Wenders
Stories on Human Rights Director Directed with Marina Abramović, Sergei Bodrov, Shira Geffen, Jia Zhangke, Etgar Keret, Idrissa Ouedraogo, Pipilotti Rist, Walter Salles, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Jasmila Žbanić, and others
2010 Je vous souhaite la pluie Director TV Short
2014 Timbuktu Director & Writer César Award for Best Film
César Award for Best Director
César Award for Best Original Screenplay
Cannes Film Festival - François Chalais Prize
Cannes Film Festival - Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Lumières Award for Best Film
Lumières Award for Best Director
Chicago International Film Festival - Best Director
Globes de Cristal Award - Best Film
African-American Film Critics Association - Best World Cinema
Jerusalem Film Festival - Best Feature
French Syndicate of Cinema Critics - Best Film
Grand Prix de l'UCC
Nominated - Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Nominated - Cannes Film Festival - Palme d'Or
Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Nominated - Cairo International Film Festival - Best Arabic Film
Nominated - Louis Delluc Prize - Best Film
Nominated - Hamburg Film Festival - Art Cinema Award
2024 Black Tea Nominated - 74th Berlin International Film Festival - Golden Bear

Jury edit

In addition to feature films and short films, Sissako has served on the jury of the Premiers Plans festival in Angers in January 2007.

Bibliography edit

  • Thomas Sotinel, « Abderrahmane Sissako. Pour en finir avec le cinéma du Nord », Le Monde, 21 octobre 2006, p. 19
  • Samuel Lelièvre, « Les cinémas africains, Abderrahmane Sissako et les frontières du monde », CinémAction, no. 137, 2010, pp. 182–185.

References edit

  1. ^ "Festival de Cannes: Waiting for Happiness". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-09. Retrieved 2009-10-30.
  2. ^ "2014 Official Selection". Cannes. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  3. ^ "Oscars 2015". Oscars 2015: what will win best foreign language film?. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  4. ^ Abderrahmane Sissako, une imposture mauritanienne Archived 2015-03-10 at the Wayback Machine, Mondafrique, 20 February 2015.
  5. ^ "African Film Festival Fosters Home-Grown Development Cinema". Voice of America News. 14 April 2010. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Gaza : des cinéastes du monde entier demandent un cessez-le-feu immédiat". Libération (in French). 28 December 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  7. ^ Newman, Nick (29 December 2023). "Claire Denis, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Christian Petzold, Apichatpong Weerasethakul & More Sign Demand for Ceasefire in Gaza". The Film Stage. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Directors of cinema sign petition for immediate ceasefire". The Jerusalem Post. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

External links edit