idrissou mora kpai
Born in 1967 in Benin, where he lived until graduating from high school. After spending some years in Algeria and Italy, he went to Germany and started studying American Civilization at the Freie Universität Berlin. In 1994 he enrolled at the Babelsberg School for Film and Television, where he studied directing. In 1999 Idrissou finished his studies and went to Paris, where he made his first longer documentary film. Si-Gueriki, the Queen Mother is a personal movie shot in his home country of Benin, to which he returned after a ten-year absence. The movie was shown in cinemas in France, as well as at numerous festivals around the world. It received several awards, including the prize for best francophone documentary feature at the Namur Festival in 2003. In 2002 Idrissou set up his own production company, MKJ Films. He now lives in Paris and Cologne.
filmography
2004 Arlit, Deuxieme Paris
2003 Si-Gueriki
1998 Fake Soldiers
1996 Fugace
Director’s statement
Born in 1967 in Benin, where he lived until graduating from high school. After spending some years in Algeria and Italy, he went to Germany and started studying American Civilization at the Freie Universität Berlin. In 1994 he enrolled at the Babelsberg School for Film and Television, where he studied directing. In 1999 Idrissou finished his studies and went to Paris, where he made his first longer documentary film. Si-Gueriki, the Queen Mother is a personal movie shot in his home country of Benin, to which he returned after a ten-year absence. The movie was shown in cinemas in France, as well as at numerous festivals around the world. It received several awards, including the prize for best francophone documentary feature at the Namur Festival in 2003. In 2002 Idrissou set up his own production company, MKJ Films. He now lives in Paris and Cologne.
filmography
2004 Arlit, Deuxieme Paris
2003 Si-Gueriki
1998 Fake Soldiers
1996 Fugace
Director’s statement
