Known for movies
La nouba des femmes du mont Chenoua (1979)
as Director
La zerda ou Les chants de l'oubli (1983)
as Director
Thé ou café (2007)
as Herself
Le cercle de minuit (1997)
as Herself
Short Info
| Died | February 6, 2015, Paris, France |
| Spouse | Malek Alloula, Ahmed Ould-Rouïs |
| Fact | Her father was the only Algerian teacher in the French school in Algeria (then a French colony), she was thus educated in French. She was buried in Cherchell the town where she was born after an official ceremony in Algiers. She was an history professor at the University of Algiers in the 1970s at the time she was also a prize winning filmmaker. |
Assia Djebar (born Fatima-Zohra Imalayen; 30 June 1936 – 6 February 2015) was an Algerian writer, translator and filmmaker. She wrote in French and was best known for her novels and films about the Algerian War of Independence.
Djebar was born on 30 June 1936 in Cherchell, Algeria to a Berber family. She was educated at a French lycée before attending the University of Algiers. She later studied at the Sorbonne and the University of Paris.
Djebar’s first novel, La Soif (The thirst), was published in 1957. Her subsequent novels included Les Impatients (The Impatient Ones, 1958), Les Enfants Terribles (The Terrible Children, 1960), Les Femmes D’Alger (The Women of Algiers, 1980) and L’Amour, La Fantasia (Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade, 1985).
Djebar’s films included La Nouba des Femmes du Mont Chenoua (The Wedding of the Women of Chenoua, 1979), which won the Prix Jean Vigo, and La Zerda ou les Chants de l’oubli (The Zerda or the Songs of Forgetting, 1982).
Djebar was elected to the Académie Française in 2005, becoming the first Algerian and only the fifth African writer to be so honoured. She died on 6 February 2015 at the age of 78.
Early Life
Djebar was born on 30 June 1936 in Cherchell, Algeria to a Berber family. She was given the name Fatima-Zohra at birth. Her father, Abdelkader Imalayen, was a teacher and her mother, Taous Feraoun, was a housewife. Djebar had four brothers and two sisters.
Djebar was educated at a French lycée in Algeria. She later studied at the University of Algiers and the Sorbonne. In 1957, she married the Algerian writer and director Ahmed Ould-Rouis. The couple had four children together.
Career
Djebar’s first novel, La Soif (The Thirst), was published in 1957. Her subsequent novels included Les Impatients (The Impatient Ones, 1958), Les Enfants Terribles (The Terrible Children, 1960), Les Femmes D’Alger (The Women of Algiers, 1980) and L’Amour, La Fantasia (Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade, 1985).
Djebar’s films included La Nouba des Femmes du Mont Chenoua (The Wedding of the Women of Chenoua, 1979), which won the Prix Jean Vigo, and La Zerda ou les Chants de l’oubli (The Zerda or the Songs of Forgetting, 1982).
In 2005, Djebar was elected to the Académie Française, becoming the first Algerian and only the fifth African writer to be so honoured.
Death
Djebar died on 6 February 2015 at the age of 78.
General Info
| Full Name | Assia Djebar |
| Died | February 6, 2015, Paris, France |
| Profession | Translator, Teacher, Novelist, Essayist |
| Education | École Normale Supérieure |
| Nationality | Algerian |
Family
| Spouse | Malek Alloula, Ahmed Ould-Rouïs |
| Parents | Tahar Imalhayène, Bahia Sahraoui |
Accomplishments
| Awards | Neustadt International Prize for Literature, Peace Prize of the German Book Trade |
| Movies | Zerda And The Songs Of Forgetting |
Social profile links
Facts
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | Her father was the only Algerian teacher in the French school in Algeria (then a French colony), she was thus educated in French. She was buried in Cherchell the town where she was born after an official ceremony in Algiers. She was an history professor at the University of Algiers in the 1970s at the time she was also a prize winning filmmaker. |
| 2 | She was professor from 1995 to 2001 at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge where she was head of a French studies center. |
| 3 | From 2001, she was professor at New York University. In 2002, she was named Silver Chair Professor. |
| 4 | Doctor in French literature in 1999 from Paul-Valéry University in Montpellier. In 1999, she became also a member of the Royal Belgium Academy of French literature. She also got honorary doctorates from Concordia University in Montréal and Vienna. |
| 5 | She was the first writer from North Africa to be elected to the Académie Française. |
| 6 | She was appointed director of the Center for French and Francophone Studies at Louisiana State University in 1995. More recently, she was a professor of French and Francophone studies at New York University. |
| 7 | She studied in Paris, then returned to Algeria after it won independence in 1962. In Algiers, she taught history, French literature and cinema. After directing several films in Algeria, she returned to France. |
| 8 | Académie Française (June 16th, 2005). |
Movies
Director
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| La zerda ou Les chants de l'oubli | 1983 | ||
| La nouba des femmes du mont Chenoua | 1979 |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ce soir (ou jamais!) | 2008 | TV Series | Herself |
| Thé ou café | 2007 | TV Series | Herself |
| Le cercle de minuit | 1997 | TV Series | Herself |
Awards
Won Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | OCIC Award - Honorable Mention | Berlin International Film Festival | Forum of New Cinema | La zerda ou Les chants de l'oubli (1983) |
| 1979 | FIPRESCI Prize | Venice Film Festival | La nouba des femmes du mont Chenoua (1979) |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
