Dorothée-Myriam Kellou wins 2024 Recanati-Kaplan Prize, recognizing outstanding cultural projects in the Arab world 

New York, March 13, 2024 — Algerian-French author, journalist, and filmmaker Dorothée-Myriam Kellou has been awarded the 2024 Recanati-Kaplan Prize. An annual initiative from the Recanati-Kaplan foundation, Villa Albertine, and the Institut du monde arabe, the Prize supports international artistic and intellectual exchange by recognizing a high-potential project from an outstanding cultural actor in the Arab world. The winner receives $15,000 and a two-month exploratory residency in the US with Villa Albertine. 

With the support of the Recanati-Kaplan Prize, Dorothée-Myriam Kellou will continue her research into the practice and traditions of progressive, feminist forms of Islam in Chicago, Miami, New York and Washington, DC, meeting with community and faith leaders in preparation for a podcast and documentary project.  

“The mission of the Recanati-Kaplan Prize to celebrate exceptional contributions to the cultural and intellectual nexus that binds together France, the United States, and the Arab world could not be more important — or timely. For it is precisely such visionary artistic and scholarly ventures that will deepen our relations ever further, and stimulate the constant reinvention of shared horizons. We are honored to be a part of this most consequential creative enterprise,” noted Thomas S. Kaplan, founder of the Recanati-Kaplan Foundation.  

“Promoting a new generation of intellectuals and creators capable of tackling the decisive issues of our time, and enriching cross-cultural perspectives, is at the heart of what we do. This Prize is an important demonstration of that, and the brilliant work of Dorothée-Myriam Kellou more than merits the recognition,” said Mohamed Bouabdallah, Cultural Counselor of France in the US and Director of Villa Albertine. “We are proud to welcome her as a Villa Albertine resident, and look forward to supporting her research into progressive practices of Islam, research which is deeply rooted in local histories while remaining timely and relevant across borders.” 

“Contributing to the Recanati-Kaplan Prize is particularly stimulating for the Arabic World Institute. The very high quality of the projects submitted to the jury testifies to the effervescence of creators and thinkers from the Arab world in touch with the world, without geographical limits. I am particularly pleased that Dorothée-Myriam Kellou, whose fields of experimentation are as numerous as they are fruitful (directing, writing, podcasting, etc.), will be able to benefit from the support provided by the Prize as she pursues a project that we are sure to welcome to the Institut du Monde Arabe,” said Jack Lang, President of the Institut du monde arabe. 

About Dorothée-Myriam Kellou  

Dorothée-Myriam Kellou is an Algerian and French author, journalist and filmmaker. She earned the Trace prize for investigative reporting in 2017 for her work on the war in Syria, and regularly contributes to many of the top news outlets in France.  

In 2019 Kellou directed the award-winning film “A Mansourah, tu nous as séparés,” and in 2020 produced a sound documentary series for France culture, “L’Algérie des camps”, with the support of the Albert Londres prize. She published her first book, “Nancy-Kabylie,” with Grasset in 2023.  

A frequent lecturer on France’s legacy of colonialism and war in Algeria, Kellou teaches investigative journalism at the university level and leads the Rawiyat collective of women filmmakers. She is a Fulbright Excellence Award recipient.  

Dorothée-Myriam Kellou’s project explores the practice of non-patriarchal interpretations of the Quran and Islam grounded in beauty, compassion, and justice – a tradition she inherited from her own grandparents. Her research, already underway in Algeria and France, brings her into conversation with the scholars, spiritual guides, and activists that are enriching contemporary beliefs and approaches to Islam in France and in the Arab region today. With the support of the Recanati-Kaplan Prize, she will continue her research in the US among the Muslim community, documenting the rich and progressive practices with deep roots in Muslim history.  

The competition was judged by a jury representing the main partners of the Prize – the Recanati-Kaplan Foundation, Villa Albertine, and the Institut du monde Arabe.