Abderrahmane Sissako

Mauritania

Biography

Sissako was born in Mauritania and raised in Mali. When he returned to Mauritania in 1980, the emotional and financial difficulties of adjustment made him turn to literature and film. Le Jeu, first presented as a graduation assignment, won the prize for best short at the “Giornate del Cinema Africano di Perugia” in 1991. In his shorts, documentaries and feature-length fiction films, Sissako has explored the exile experience and the relationship between African and Western societies. His films Octobre, Life on Earth and Waiting for Happiness were shown at some of the most important international Film Festivals, as Cannes and Toronto, and won prizes all over the world. In 2003 he was Member of the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Films

• Bamako (2006)
• Heremakono (Waiting for Happiness, 2002)
• La vie sur Terre (Life on Earth, 1998)
• Rostov-Luanda (documentary, 1997)
• Sabriya (shortfilm, 1997)
• Le Chameau et les Bâtons flottants (shortfilm, 1994)
• Oktyabr (Octobre, shortfilm, 1991)
• Le Jeu (shortfilm, 1989)

Major awards

Waiting for Happiness

• 2003 Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema: Best Film
• 2003 Cannes Film Festival: France Culture Award, Foreign Cineaste of the Year, Fipresci Prize
• 2003 Ouagadougou Panafrican Film and Television Festival: Grand Prize - Etalon de Yennega           
• 2002 Paris Biennal of Arab Cinema: IMA Grand Prize
• 2002 Gijón International Film Festival: Special Jury Award

Life on Earth

• 1999 Fribourg International Film Festival: Ecumenical Jury Award, Fipresci Prize, Grand Prix
• 1999 San Francisco International Film Festival: Spire Film & Video - Short Narrative