Houda Benyamina
Houda Benyamina is a passionate, self-taught filmmaker. A graduate of the ERAC (Regional School of Actors in Cannes), she trained in directing through the association 1000 Visages, which she founded in 2006 to democratize access to cinema. Through this initiative, she directed her first short film My Giant Trash Can (2008), which caught the attention of producer Marc-Benoit Créancier. Her medium-length film On the Road to Paradise (2012) won several awards at various festivals.
With Divines—winner of the Caméra d’Or at Cannes in 2016 and recipient of three César Awards in 2017—Houda was a laureate of the Groupe Ouest’s Annual Selection in 2013 and the Gan Foundation for Cinema in 2014.
Divines
Sélection Annuelle 2013
In a ghetto where trafficking and religion work hand in hand, Dounia craves power and success. Supported by her best friend Maimouna, she decides to follow in the footsteps of Rebecca, a respected drug dealer. Her encounter with Djigui, a sensual young dancer, will turn her daily life upside down.
A travaillé avec...
Romain et moi avons eu la chance de faire partie de la Sélection Annuelle 2013 du Groupe Ouest ; nous y avons développé le scénario sous la bienveillance des consultants, surtout celle de Marcel Beaulieu, dans le cadre on ne peut plus inspirant du Finistère.
Auteure-réalisatrice
Moon River
Sélection Annuelle 2017
1954. Unwillingly engaged to Saïd, a soldier in French Algeria, Assia leads a double life. Unknown to her family, she is a liaison officer for the FLN. Her encounter with Peter, an American archaeologist with obscure motives who has come to carry out research in the country, upsets this delicate balance. As the love triangle evolves, the land of Algeria rumbles and prepares for revolution. MOON RIVER paints an uncompromising portrait of a woman in search of the absolute, ready to do anything for the independence of her country… and herself.
