Film director and activist Aïssa Maïga on a East Coast tour

Aïssa Maïga is a Senegal-born French actress, director, writer, and producer. She has worked with major film directors like Michael Haneke, Abderrahmane Sissako, and Michel Gondry, and recently starred in Chiwetel Ejiofor’s directorial debut, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind. She has won or been nominated for a number of prestigious prizes, including a Best Newcomer César (French Oscar) nomination in 2007 for Bamako (The Court) (2006) and the Best Actress Prize in 2009 at the Bastia Film Festival for Black and White (2008) by Italian director Cristina Comencini. A climate change activist, she is also an advocate for inclusion and has been vocal about racial discrimination in the film industry throughout her career.

Above Water / Marcher sur l’eau (Orange Studio), set in Niger against the backdrop of spellbinding desert landscapes and a vibrant musical score, paints a visceral portrait of survival in the face of the global climate crisis. (International Sales: Orange Studio)

Melanin / Regard Noir follows Aïssa MaÏga on a road trip from Paris to Los Angeles to San Paolo to explore the historical roots of systemic racism and the impact of discrimination and stereotypes in films and series on societies and their respective popular cultures. 

ATLANTA @ GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY:

Award-winning Senegal-born French actress, director and activist Aïssa Maïga comes to Atlanta to present two of her films, Above Water / Marcher sur l’eau (Orange Studio) and Melanin / Regard noir.

March 15th at 6pm: Above Water / Marcher sur l’eau (Orange Studio) Read more

March 16th at 6:30pm: Melanin / Regard noir Read more

Both screenings will be followed by a Q&A with the director, Aïssa Maïga, moderated by Stéphanie Boulard of the Georgia Institute of Technology.  

These screenings are co-sponsored by Global Media Festival at Georgia Tech, Albertine Cinémathèque for Villa Albertine and Unifrance. 

DURHAM @DUKE UNIVERSITY:

March 18 at 3:30pm: Melanin / Regard noir Read more

Rubenstein Arts Center Theater
2020 Campus Dr, Durham, NC 27708

This screening is co-sponsored by Duke University, Albertine Cinémathèque for Villa Albertine and Unifrance. 

WASHINGTON DC @ AFI SILVER THEATER

March 22 at 7pm: Above Water / Marcher sur l’eau (Orange Studio) + Panel discussion with director Aïssa Maïga Read more

This screening is co-sponsored by New African Film Festival (NAFF), presented by AFI and Africa World Now Project, Albertine Cinémathèque for Villa Albertine and Unifrance. 

This Young French Cinema program was made possible with the support of Unifrance and Villa Albertine in partnership with the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States.