Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, born in 1961 in Abéché, Chad, is a renowned film director, celebrated as the first Chadian full-length film director. Despite living in France since 1982, his stories predominantly revolve around Chad and its socio-political dynamics. Haroun began his journey in films after studying at the film school Conservatoire Libre du Cinéma in Paris and Journalism at Bordeaux I.U.T. His filmmaking style is distinguished by his personal involvement as he typically writes and directs his films. He kickstarted his career with short films like 'Tan Koul' and 'Maral Tanié.' However, his breakthrough came with his first feature film, 'Bye Bye Africa,' in 1999, which was the first feature film from Chad.

Over his illustrious career, Haroun diversified his repertoire, successfully experimenting with different genres and narrative styles. He has directed impressive works like 'Abouna,' 'Daratt,' 'Sex, Okra and Salted Butter,' and 'A Screaming Man' - which won the Jury Prize at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. Haroun was also the president of the 28th International Love Film Festival at Mons in 2012. Moreover, he has made significant contributions to the realm of documentaries, most notably 'Hissane Habré: A Chadian Tragedy' about the Chadian dictator. His most recent work is 'Lingui,' a return to Chad focusing on the issues faced by women. Outside of cinema, Haroun served as Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Crafts of Chad from February 5, 2017, to February 8, 2018. He has also ventured into literature, publishing his first novel 'Djibril ou les Ombres portées' in 2017.