Idrissou Mora-Kpai

Idrissou Mora-Kpai (born 14 July 1967), is a Beninese 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[4]and the Dutch Prince Claus Award[5]

Idrissou Mora-Kpai
Born
Idrissou Mora-Kpai

(1967-07-14) July 14, 1967
Béroubouay, Benin
NationalityBeninese
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[1] and Prince Claus award
Websitehttps://idrimora.com

Personal life

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 and the University of Pittsburgh.[5] Currently he lives in the US.[6] He is an assistant professor in the department of media arts, sciences and studies at Ithaca College.[2]

Career

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][6]

In 1999, Idrissou moved to Paris and made his maiden documentary,Si-Gueriki[7][8] in 2002. The film received critical acclaim and international attention.[9] 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][6]

In 2002, he founded the production company 'MKJ Films'. With the production house, he produced two other films; Arlit The Second Paris[10][11][12] was screened at The Berlin International Film Festival[13] 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,[14] Milan, the best documentary award at the Muestra de Cine Africano de Tarifa.[15] His film Indochina Traces of a Mother[16][17] produced with the same company, was screened at the Busan International Film Festival,[18] at the Cannes International Film Festival,[19] 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.[20]

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[21].[22][23][24]

Filmography
YearFilmRoleGenreRef.
1996TransientDirector, producer, writer, editorShort film
1999Fake SoldiersDirector, writerShort film[25]
2002Si-Gueriki, la reine-mèreDirectorDocumentary[26][27]
2005Arlit: The Second ParisDirector, producer, writerDocumentary[28]
2011Indochina Traces of a MotherDirector, producerDocumentary[29]
2019America StreetDirector, producer, cinematographerDocumentary

See also

References
  1. https://www.gf.org/fellows/idrissou-mora-kpai/
  2. "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. https://www.gf.org/fellows/idrissou-mora-kpai/
  5. "Idrissou Mora-Kpai bio". Idrissou Mora-Kpai official website. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  6. "Prof. Idrissou Mora Kpai". filmuniversitaet. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  7. https://variety.com/2003/film/reviews/si-gueriki-the-queen-mother-1200543315/
  8. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/african-studies-review/article/abs/idrissou-mora-kpai-sigueriki-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-wwwnewsreelorg-vhs-195/11975C549CF3FC226304766BA0435316
  9. "Biografie Idrissou Mora Kpai". filme-aus-afrika. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  10. https://variety.com/2005/film/reviews/arlit-the-second-paris-1200527646/
  11. https://filmthreat.com/uncategorized/arlit-deuxieme-paris/
  12. https://www.dokfest-muenchen.de/films/arlit-deuxieme-paris?lang=en
  13. https://www.berlinale.de/en/2005/programme/20051266.html
  14. https://www.fescaaal.org/en/
  15. https://fcat.es
  16. https://idrimora.com/projects/indochina-traces-of-a-mother/
  17. https://shadowandact.com/trailer-doc-indochina-traces-of-a-mother-afro-vietnamese-orphans-of-indochina-war-trace-roots-in-vietnam
  18. https://www.biff.kr/eng/html/archive/arc_history_view.asp?1=1&kind=history&pyear=2011&m_idx=16100
  19. http://cannes.juryoecumenique.org/actualites/du-cote-des-cinephiles/2011/article/indochine-sur-les-traces-d-une
  20. https://www.ficinema.dz/fr/
  21. https://fidmarseille.org/en/
  22. "Idrissou Mora Kpai bio". africanfilmny. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  23. 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
  24. https://sites.duke.edu/researchafrica/files/2021/01/8-The-Syncopation-of-Idrissou-Mora-Kpaiau2019s-America-Street-2020-Judy-Markup.pdf
  25. https://www.arsenal-berlin.de/en/forum-forum-expanded/supplement/detailseite-supplement/interview-mit-idrissou-mora-kpai-1/
  26. "California Newsreel - SI-GUERIKI". newsreel.org.
  27. "Who's who at FESPACO". www.bbc.co.uk.
  28. Edwards, Russell (February 25, 2005). "Arlit, The Second Paris".
  29. "Indochina Traces of a Mother – Idrissou Mora-Kpai".
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