“[Abid Mohamed Medoun Hondo] ended up just like other African personalities whose countries forgot them deliberately or unintentionally, or because they weren’t a priority. Hondo ended up like a liberator-hero whose people enjoy the freedom celebrations but who forget he was the one who made it happen. Mauritanian movie theatres had never screened a Mohamed Hondo film. A few intellectuals knew that he was a Mauritanian filmmaker, but the majority of people had never heard of him.” ~ From MED HONDO — REBEL AFRICAN FILMMAKER.
Med Hondo was indeed a rebel in the world of African cinema, known for his audacious storytelling and unflinching critique of social, political, and racial issues. Born in Mauritania, he spent much of his career in France but never lost touch with his African roots, often using cinema as a tool to challenge and dissect complex issues affecting the continent.
His work has left an indelible mark on the world of cinema, particularly in how stories from Africa are told and understood.
From the archives, watch MED HONDO: REBEL AFRICAN FILMMAKER (a 2020 Al Jazeera documentary) in full below:
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