Med Hondo

Med Hondo
Born
Mohamed Abid

(1935-05-04)4 May 1935
Died2 March 2019(2019-03-02) (aged 83)
Paris, France
Occupations
  • Actor
  • producer
  • screenwriter
  • film director
Years active1967–2013
Notable workSoleil O (1970)
West Indies (1979)

Med Hondo (born Mohamed Abid; 4 May 1935 – 2 March 2019) was a Mauritanian-born French director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Considered a founding father of African cinema, he is known for his controversial films dealing with issues such as race relations and colonization.[1] His critically acclaimed 1970 directorial début feature, Soleil O, received the Golden Leopard award at the 1970 Locarno International Film Festival and was chosen in 2019 by the African Film Heritage Project for restoration.[2] His 1979 film West Indies was the first African film musical and, at $1.3 million, the most expensive production in African film history.[2]

In his later years, Hondo became known for dubbing Hollywood hits that included Shrek, The Lion King, The Nutty Professor, and Se7en.[3]

  1. ^ "Med Hondo: A founding father of African cinema". www.aljazeera.com. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  2. ^ a b Obenson, Tambay (3 March 2019). "Med Hondo, the Firebrand Pioneer of African Cinema, Dies". IndieWire. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  3. ^ Sanogo, Aboubakar (May–June 2020). "By Any Means Necessary: Med Hondo". Film Comment. Retrieved 25 November 2022.