Education
Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography.
Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography.
Sissako is, along with Ousmane Sembène, Souleymane Cissé, Idrissa Ouedraogo and Djibril Diop Mambety, one of the few filmmakers from Africa to reach a measure of international influence. His film Waiting for Happiness (Heremakono) was screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival official selection under Un Certain Regard, winning the FIPRESCI Prize. His 2007 film Bamako received much attention.
Sissako"s themes include globalisation, exile and the displacement of people.
Soon after his birth Sissako"s family emigrated to Mali, his father"s country, where he completed part of his primary and secondary education. Sissako returned briefly to Mauritania, his mother"s land, in 1980.
Then he left for Moscow, where he studied cinema at the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (Federal State Film Institute) from 1983 to 1989. Sissako settled in France at the beginning of the 1990s.
Besides his work as a director, he also works as a cultural advisor for Mauritanian head of state Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.
In addition to feature films and short films, Sissako has served on the jury of the Premiers Plans festival in Angers in January 2007. 2000: 53rd Cannes International Film Festival (jury member, Cinéfondation and short films section)
2003: 56th Cannes International Film Festival (jury president, Un Certain Regard section)
2014: 36th Moscow International Film Festival (jury member, main competition section)
2015: 68th Cannes International Film Festival (jury president, Cinéfondation and short films section).