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Idrissou Mora-Kpai

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Idrissou Mora-Kpai
Born
Idrissou Mora-Kpai

(1967-07-14) July 14, 1967 (age 57)
Béroubouay, Benin
NationalityBeninese-American
EducationMFA Film Production
Alma materKonrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg
Free University of Berlin
Occupation(s)Director, producer, screenwriter, editor, lecturer
Years active1996–present
AwardsRecipient of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, and Prince Claus Fund[1]
Websitehttps://idrimora.com

Idrissou Mora-Kpai (born 14 July 1967), is a Beninese-American filmmaker.[2] He is most notable as the director of critically acclaimed films Indochina Traces of a Mother, Arlit The Second Paris, and Si-Gueriki The Queen Mother.[3] He is a recipient of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship[1] and the Dutch Prince Claus Award[4]

Personal life

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He was born on 14 July 1967 in Béroubouay, Northern Benin to a family of commercial cattle farmers. His father was Mora-Kpai Sounon Dangnon and mother was Bougnon Yarou Signangui.[2]

He graduated with M.A. degree at the Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg, Germany. He also worked as a visiting lecturer at Cornell University, Duke University, University of Pittsburgh and Ithaca College. [2] [4] Currently he lives in the US.[5] As of 2024 Mora-Kpai accepted an associate professorship at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

Career

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At the age of 13, he moved to Cotonou and attended high school. At the age of 19, he went to Algeria and then emigrated via Italy to Germany. Then he studied North American studies at the Free University of Berlin from 1988 to 1993. After the graduation, he studied film production at the Konrad Wolf Film University from 1994 to 1999. During this university period, he made several two short films, Transient and Fake Soldiers.[2][5]

In 1999, Idrissou moved to Paris and made his maiden documentary,Si-Gueriki[6][7] in 2002. The film received critical acclaim and international attention.[8] It was screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), Cinema du Réel, Paris and the Copenhagen International Film Festival (CIFF). The film later awarded Best Documentary Award at the Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur.[2][5]

In 2002, he founded the production company 'MKJ Films'. With the production house, he produced two other films; Arlit The Second Paris[9][10][11] was screened at The Berlin International Film Festival[12] at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival and was subsequently awarded, among others, the Best Documentary Award and the TV5 Award at the Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur, the best documentary award at the Asian and Latin American Film Festival,[13] Milan, the best documentary award at the Muestra de Cine Africano de Tarifa.[14] His film Indochina Traces of a Mother[15][16] produced with the same company, was screened at the Busan International Film Festival,[17] at the Cannes International Film Festival,[18] French Institute Screening. The film attracted the media’s attention due to exposing a hitherto little know piece of history about African Soldiers fighting for in the French Indochina war. Indochina was awarded the best documentary award at the Alger International Film Festival.[19]

In 2019, he made the documentary film America Street. It explores the daily struggles of an African-American community in Charleston, South Carolina after the 2015 Walter Scott killing. The film received critical acclaim and was screened at several film festivals, including FID Marseille.[20][21][22][23]

Filmography

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Year Film Role Genre Ref.
1996 Transient Director, producer, writer, editor Short film
1999 Fake Soldiers Director, writer Short film[24]
2002 Si-Gueriki, la reine-mère Director Documentary [25][26]
2005 Arlit: The Second Paris Director, producer, writer Documentary [27]
2011 Indochina Traces of a Mother Director, producer Documentary [28]
2019 America Street Director, producer, cinematographer Documentary

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b https://www.gf.org/fellows/idrissou-mora-kpai/
  2. ^ a b c d e "Idrissou Mora-Kpai: Assistant Professor, Media Arts, Sciences and Studies". Ithaca College. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Idrissou Mora-Kpai at IFFR". IFFR. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Idrissou Mora-Kpai bio". Idrissou Mora-Kpai official website. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  5. ^ a b c "Prof. Idrissou Mora Kpai". filmuniversitaet. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  6. ^ Young, Deborah (2003-02-19). "Si-Gueriki, The Queen Mother". Variety. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  7. ^ Harrow, Kenneth W. "Idrissou Mora Kpai. Si-Gueriki (The Queen Mother). Benin, 2003. 62 minutes. In Bariba and French with English subtitles. Distributed by California Newsreel, 500 Third St., Suite 505, San Francisco, Calif. 94107: www.newsreel.org. VHS. $195". African Studies Review. 47 (2): 223–225. doi:10.1017/S0002020600031346. ISSN 0002-0206.
  8. ^ "Biografie Idrissou Mora Kpai". filme-aus-afrika. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  9. ^ Edwards, Russell (2005-02-25). "Arlit, The Second Paris". Variety. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  10. ^ "ARLIT: DEUXIEME PARIS Reviews, Uncategorized Film Threat". 2006-11-28. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  11. ^ Arlit, deuxième Paris (Arlit, The Second Paris), retrieved 2023-11-22
  12. ^ "Arlit, deuxième Paris | Arlit, the Second Paris | Arlit, ein zweites Paris - Forum 2005". www.berlinale.de. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  13. ^ "African, Asia and Latin America Film Festival". Festival del Cinema Africano, d'Asia e America Latina. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  14. ^ "FCAT - Festival de Cine Africano de Tarifa~Tánger". FCAT | Festival de Cine Africano de Tarifa~Tánger (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  15. ^ "Indochina Traces of a Mother – Idrissou Mora-Kpai". Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  16. ^ "The Community for Black Creativity and News - Blavity News". Blavity News & Politics. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  17. ^ "Busan International Film Festival". Busan International Film Festival. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  18. ^ http://cannes.juryoecumenique.org/actualites/du-cote-des-cinephiles/2011/article/indochine-sur-les-traces-d-une
  19. ^ https://www.ficinema.dz/fr/
  20. ^ https://fidmarseille.org/en/
  21. ^ "Idrissou Mora Kpai bio". africanfilmny. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  22. ^ https://www.postandcourier.com/charleston_scene/america-street-documentary-on-charleston-s-east-side-community-now-free-to-stream/article_b6ee3b6c-a5a8-11ea-8937-7f051e8ba5f9.html
  23. ^ https://sites.duke.edu/researchafrica/files/2021/01/8-The-Syncopation-of-Idrissou-Mora-Kpaiau2019s-America-Street-2020-Judy-Markup.pdf
  24. ^ https://www.arsenal-berlin.de/en/forum-forum-expanded/supplement/detailseite-supplement/interview-mit-idrissou-mora-kpai-1/
  25. ^ "California Newsreel - SI-GUERIKI". newsreel.org.
  26. ^ "Who's who at FESPACO". www.bbc.co.uk.
  27. ^ Edwards, Russell (February 25, 2005). "Arlit, The Second Paris".
  28. ^ "Indochina Traces of a Mother – Idrissou Mora-Kpai".
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