Moussa Sene Absa

Filmmaker, artist, writer, composer, and producer; one of the key figures of contemporary African cinema. He began as an actor, then turned to directing with his own play, The Legend of Rube. His first film, the short The Price of a Lie (1988), won a prize at the Carthage Film Festival. He produced the 400-episode show Gorgorlu for Senegalese television and has made some 20 features and shorts. Among the best known are Tableau Ferraille (1997; best cinematography at the Burkina Faso film festival), Madame Brouette (2002; Silver Bear at the Berlinale), and Xalé (2022; five African Movie Academy Awards). His paintings have been exhibited in Senegal, Europe, and North America.