Yamina Benguigui

Yamina Benguigui (born April 9, 1957)cite web |title=Yamina Benguigui |url=http://www.unifrance.org/annuaires/personne/141958/yamina-benguigui |publisher=uniFrance |accessdate=2008-04-12] is a French-Algerian film director known for her films on gender issues in the North African immigrant community in France.cite web |first=Livia |last=Alexander |title=French-Algerian: A Story of Immigrants and Identity |url=http://www.satyamag.com/may02/alexander.html |publisher=SATYA |date=May 2002 |accessdate=2008-04-11]

Life

Benguigui's parents were Kabyle and immigrated to France from Algeria in the early 1950s. [cite news |first=Sylvie |last=Kerviel |title=Au nom des immigrés; YAMINA BENGUIGUI. |publisher=Le Monde |language=French |date=1999-06-21] She never discovered why her parents decided to leave Algeria, saying the subject was considered taboo. [cite web |title=Portraits d'immigrés |url=http://www.entre-gens.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51&Itemid=65 |publisher=Entre-Gens |language=French |accessdate=2008-04-11] Born in Lille, Benguigui was the eldest daughter of six children and spent her childhood in northern France.cite news |first=Joan |last=Dupont |title=Seeking an Identity in 'the Immigrant's Silence' |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/1998/03/31/yam.t.php |publisher=International Herald Tribune |date=1998-03-31 |accessdate=2008-04-11] Describing herself as a quiet child who grew up in the Islamic tradition, Benguigui was only 13 years old when she first decided to become a filmmaker.

Her father was a political leader in the Algerian National Movement, and was jailed in France for three years as a political prisoner (she has also stated that he was jailed on two separate occasions, and that her whole family was once under house arrest). Because he did not support her in her chosen profession, Benguigui broke off contact with him early on, only to reconnect with him in late 2001. After she left the family her mother divorced her father as well. Yamina Benguigui married a Jewish pied-noir and has two daughters.

Career

Earning her baccalaureate and going on to study at film school, Benguigui then collaborated with French director Jean-Daniel Pollet. Later Benguigui founded Bandit Productions with director Rachid Bouchareb. [cite news |first=Fadwa |last=Miadi |title=Yamina Benguigui: Cinéaste franco-algérienne |url=http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_afrique/article_jeune_afrique.asp?art_cle=LIN29016yaminiugiug0 |publisher=Jeune Afrique |language=French |date=2006-01-29 |accessdate=2008-04-12] In 1994 her documentary "Femmes d'Islam" was broadcast on France 2,Sylvie Durmelat, "Transmission and Mourning in "Mémoires d'immigrés: l'héritage maghrébin": Yamina Benguigui as 'Memory Entrepreneuse,'" in "Women, Immigration and Identities in France", ed. Jane Freedman and Carrie Tarr (Berg Publishers, 2000). ISBN 1859734367 p. 171-172.] but subsequently she decided that she would prefer to examine the immigrant experience in France rather than life in Algeria.

Her next documentary, "Mémoires d'immigrés, l'héritage maghrébin", cost 50 million francs and was the result of 350 interviews conducted with immigrants across France. After a two year period of preparation and another nine months of editing it was first shown in May 1997 on Canal+. Receiving positive reviews from critics, it was rebroadcast the following month and brought to theaters the following January.

As of February 2008 Benguigui was working on a film entitled "Le paradis, c'est complet!", starring Isabelle Adjani. [cite news |first=Alain |last=Chouffan |title=Yamina Benguigui : Nous irons tous au paradis |url=http://hebdo.nouvelobs.com/hebdo/parution/p2259/articles/a366953-yamina_benguigui__nous_irons_tous_au_paradis.html |publisher=Le Nouvel Observateur |language=French |date=2008-02-21 |accessdate=2008-04-11] [cite news |title=Isabelle Adjani : Plus proche de ses origines algériennes |url=http://www.elwatan.com/spip.php?page=article&id_article=85168 |publisher=El Watan |language=French |date=2008-01-21 |accessdate=2008-04-11]

In the March 2008 French municipal elections Benguigui was elected in the XXe arrondissement to the Conseil de Paris, where she will concern herself with human rights and the fight against discrimination. [cite news |title=Paris: Delanoë réélu maire, Baupin perd les transports |url=http://www.liberation.fr/actualite/politiques/municipales2008/actu/316959.FR.php |publisher=Liberation |language=French |date=2008-03-21 |accessdate=2008-04-11] She is associated with the Socialist Party. [cite web |title=Les élus 2008-2014 au Conseil de Paris |url=http://www.ps-paris.org/?doc=1100 |publisher=Fédération de Paris du Parti socialiste |language=French |accessdate=2008-04-11]

Filmography

* "Femmes d'Islam" (1994)
* "Mémoires d'immigrés, l'héritage maghrébin" ("Immigrant Memories", 1997) Directorcite web |title=Yamina Benguigui |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0071117/ |publisher=The Internet Movie Databse |accessdate=2008-04-11]
* "Pimprenelle", in "Pas d'histoires!" ("Don't Make Trouble!", 2001) Director and writer
* "Inch'Allah Dimanche" ("Inch'Allah Sunday", 2001) Director and writer
* "Aïcha, Mohamed, Chaïb… Engagés pour la France" (2003) [cite news |first=Alexandra |last=Arnaud |title=Chez moi, la France |url=http://www.humanite.fr/2003-09-27_Medias_-Chez-moi-la-France |publisher=l'Humanité |language=French |date=2003-09-27 |accessdate=2008-04-11]
* "Le Plafond de verre" ("The Glass Ceiling", 2004) Director and writer [cite web |title=The Tournées Festival: Le Plafond de Verre |url=http://www.facecouncil.org/tournees/fichesfilms/plafonddeverre.html |publisher=French American Cultural Exchange |accessdate=2008-04-12]
* "Les Défricheurs" (2006) Director
* "Changer de regard - Portrait n° 5" (2007) Director

Awards

"Mémoires d'immigrés, l'héritage maghrébin"

* Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels, Michel Mitrani prize
* San Francisco International Film Festival, Golden Gate Award
* 7 d'Or Night, Best Documentary (1997)cite web |title=Awards for Yamina Benguigui |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0071117/awards |publisher=The Internet Movie Databse |accessdate=2008-04-11]

"Inch'Allah Dimanche"

* Amiens International Film Festival, OCIC Award and Prize of the City of Amiens (2001)
* Bordeaux International Festival of Women in Cinema, Audience Award and Golden Wave (2001)
* Cairo International Film Festival, Golden Pyramid (2001)
* International Film Festival of Marrakech, Golden Star (2001)
* Toronto International Film Festival, International Critics' Award (FIPRESCI) (2001)

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0071117|name=Yamina Benguigui
* [http://www.cineclassic.com/img/film/107/DP1.doc Biography, interview, and full filmography (word doc)]