Raoul Peck

Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on September 9, 1953, Raoul Peck is a renowned Haitian filmmaker who has created an impressive array of both documentary and feature films. Peck is recognized for his use of historical, political, and personal characters to narrate societal issues and historical events. Interestingly, Peck also served as Haiti's Minister of Culture from March 1996 to September 1997. His notable film, I Am Not Your Negro (2016), based on the life of James Baldwin and race relations in the United States, was nominated for an Oscar and won a César Award in France. In 2021, Peck's HBO documentary miniseries, Exterminate All the Brutes, received a prestigious Peabody Award.

In addition to his filmmaking career, Peck is the founder of Velvet Film, a film production company in Paris, New York, and Port-au-Prince. He also established "El Dorado Forum" in 1995, a center in Port-au-Prince that promotes the creativity and enrichment of artists. After studying industrial engineering and economics at Berlin's Humboldt University, Peck became a New York City taxi driver and then worked as a journalist and photographer. He later earned a film degree from the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB) in West Berlin. His work is characterized by its uniqueness, ingenuity, and dogged commitment to illuminating important social and historical issues.