Mati Diop

Mati Diop
Diop in 2024
Born	(1982-06-22) 22 June 1982 (age 43) Paris, France
Occupations	Film director actress screenwriter
Years active	2004–present
Father	Wasis Diop
Relatives	Djibril Diop Mambéty (uncle)

Mati Diop (born 22 June 1982) is a French film director and actress. She won the Grand Prix at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival for her feature film debut, the supernatural romantic drama Atlantics , and the Golden Bear at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival for her second feature film, the documentary Dahomey . As an actress, she is known for the drama film 35 Shots of Rum (2008).

Early life

Diop was born in Paris, France. Her father, Wasis Diop, is a black Senegalese musician, while her mother, Christine Brossard, is a white French art buyer and photographer. She is the niece of filmmaker Djibril Diop Mambéty. During her childhood, she often travelled back and forth between France and Senegal, developing a transnational identity. ^[1]

Education

Diop trained in the Advanced Degree Programme at Le Fresnoy National Studio of Contemporary Art in France, ^[2] as well as at the Palais de Tokyo in their experimental artist studio space Le Pavillon. ^[3]

Career

Diop was a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study from 2014 to 2015. ^[3] Her work there focused on themes of exile, identity, memory, and loss, utilizing both fiction and documentary techniques. ^[4] While a part of the institute's selective Film Study Center Fellowship Program, she wrote the script for her first feature film Fire, Next Time. ^[3] She later changed the title of this film to what is now known as her directorial feature film debut, Atlantics (2019). ^[5]

In 2025, Mati Diop launched a U.S. university tour to present her documentary Dahomey, engaging in discussions on cultural restitution and decolonization. The tour included screenings and conversations at institutions such as Harvard University, Duke University, Columbia University, Pratt Institute, and Emory University. ^[6]

Directing

Diop made her directorial debut in 2004 with her short film Last Night (2004). ^[7] Her short film Atlantiques (2009) won the Rotterdam International Film Festival's Tiger Award for Short Film, and a Top Prize at Media City Film Festival ^[8] during her first North American appearance in 2009.

Her documentary short Mille Soleils ^[9] was released in 2013. The film focused on actor Magaye Niang, who was the star of Diop's uncle's seminal feature Touki Bouki (1973) and explained how he had come to live as a farmer in the intervening years. ^[10] The film played at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and was later also programmed at the Museum of Modern Art in 2014. ^[11]

In 2019, she became the first black female director to have her film premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival when her feature debut Atlantics was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or. ^[5] She was one of only four women accepted into the festival in the given year. ^[12] The film was a fictional adaptation of her documentary short Atlantiques made in 2009 that followed two friends from Senegal as they made a life-threatening boat crossing to Europe. ^{[12] [13] [14]} The film won the Grand Prix. ^[15] It was picked up by Netflix shortly following Cannes' award announcements, however it is not a Netflix Original Film. ^[16]

Diop directed a documentary, In My Room , as part of Miu Miu's Women's Tales series, which blended audio recordings of her maternal grandmother, Maji, with footage Diop shot of herself in her Parisian apartment during the time she was quarantined during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

Diop's work has been featured at the Venice Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, the BFI London Film Festival in 2012, and the Valdivia International Film Festival, ^[3] as well as the Museum of the Moving Image in 2013. ^[11]

In 2024, she won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale with the documentary, Dahomey , devoted to the question of the restitution by France of works of art stolen from Dahomey, present-day Benin. ^{[17] [18]}

Acting

Diop made her acting debut in Claire Denis' film 35 Shots of Rum (2008), playing the lead role of a young woman in a close-knit relationship with her father, whom she has trouble leaving as she gets ready for marriage. She received a nomination for the Lumière Award for Most Promising Actress for her role in the film. ^[11] In 2012, she appeared in the film Simon Killer and was also credited with the story behind the script. ^[19] Diop continues to act sporadically in films and television.

Artistry and themes

In a 2025 interview with the Financial Times, Diop discussed her cinematic approach, emphasizing the importance of centering African and diasporic narratives. She cited influences from American underground cinema, including filmmakers like Larry Clark and Harmony Korine, and highlighted her commitment to creating films that resonate deeply with African and Black audiences. ^[20]

In their article on Diop's work up to Atlantics (2019), Lindsay Turner states that Diop's work is often concerned with trans-nationalism, immigration, the female experience, and post-colonialism in relation with North Africa and Europe. ^[21] In order to start work on Atlantics, she began travelling to Senegal to reconnect with her African heritage. She says she found her voice in those journeys—and in her own French-Senegalese hyphenated identity. ^[22] In an interview with Metal Magazine, Diop explains that she tackles cinematics and poetic aspects of her film with different perspectives due to the contrasting "sensibilities" of French and African cultures. ^[23]

Diop uses aspects of magical realism in her films, examples including Atlantics (2019), Snow Cannon (2011), and Big in Vietnam (2012). ^[24] Diop can also be quoted talking about her storytelling processes, notably on how she uses sets and props to convey her plots as opposed to just characters and dialogue. ^[21] During additional interviews, Diop has mentioned that she has done a majority of her own cinematography and is deeply interested in multiculturalism and multilingualism in film, as her films are often in two to three different languages. ^{[23] [21]}

Filmography

Acting

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2008	35 Shots of Rum	Joséphine
2010	Yoshido (Les autres vies)	Amy
	A History of Mutual Respect		Short film
2011	La collection	Jehanne	Episode: "Bye Bye"
	Sleepwalkers
	Another World	Sita	Television film
2012	Simon Killer	Victoria / Noura
	Fort Buchanan: Hiver		Short film
2014	Fort Buchanan	Justine
	L for Leisure	Stacey
2016	Hermia & Helena	Danièle
2022	Both Sides of the Blade	Gabrielle

Filmmaking

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Cinematographer	Notes
2004	Last Night	Yes			Short film
2006	Île artificielle – Expédition	Yes			Short film
2009	Atlantiques	Yes		Yes	Documentary short
2011	Sleepwalkers	No	No	Yes
	Snow Canon	Yes	Yes	No	Short film
2012	Simon Killer	No	Yes	No
	Big in Vietnam	Yes	Yes	Yes	Short film
2013	Les Apaches	No	No	No	Costume designer
	Mille Soleils	Yes		Yes	Documentary short
2014	Les 18 du 57, Boulevard de Strasbourg	Yes			Short film; co-director (Collectif des Cinéastes Pour les Sans-Papiers)
2015	Liberian Boy	Yes		Yes	Short film; co-directed with Manon Lutanie
2017	Olympus	Yes			Short film
2019	30 (+) films pour la 30ème (Segment: "Untitled")	Yes	Yes		Documentary; also editor and producer
	Atlantics	Yes	Yes	No
2020	In My Room	Yes	Yes		Documentary short
2021	Wasis Diop – Voyage à Paris	Yes		Yes	Music video
2022	Naked Blue	Yes		Yes	Short film; co-directed with Manon Lutanie
2024	Dahomey	Yes	Yes		Documentary

Accolades

Awards and nominations

Year	Festival	Awards	Film	Result
2010	Cinèma du Rèel	Louis Marcorelles Award – Mention	Atlantiques	Won
2011	Venice Film Festival	Queer Lion	Snow Cannon	Nominated
2010	Rotterdam International Film Festival	Tiger Award for Short Film	Big in Vietnam	Won
2012			Atlantiques	Won
2013	Amiens International Film Festival	Prix du Moyen mètrage	Mille Solelies	Won
2013	CPH:DOX	New Vision Award		Nominated
2013	Montréal Festival of New Cinema	Loup Argenté		Won
2014	Black Movie Film Festival	Critics Prize		Won
2014	IndieLisboa International Independent Film Festival	Short Film Grand Prize		Won
2019	Boston Society of Film Critics Awards	BSFC Award: Best New Filmmaker	Atlantics	Nominated
2019	Camerimage	Best Directorial Debut		Nominated
2019	Cannes Film Festival	Grand Prize of the Jury		Won [25]
		Palme d'Or		Nominated [26]
		Caméra d'Or		Nominated
2019	Carthage Film Festival	Tanit d'Argent Tanit d'Or		Won
2019	Chicago Film Critics Association Awards	Milos Stehlik Award: Most Promising Filmmaker		Nominated
2019	Denver International Film Festival	Krzysztof Kieslowski Award: Best Feature Film		Nominated
2019	European Film Awards	European Film Award: European Discovery		Nominated
2019	Ghent International Film Festival	Grand Prix: Best Film		Nominated
2019	Greater Western New York Film Critics Association Awards	GWNYFCA Award: Breakthrough Director		Nominated
2019	Hamptons International Film Festival	Golden Starfish Award: Narrative Feature		Nominated
2019	Indiewire Critics' Poll	IPC Award: Best First Feature		Won
2019	Key West Film Festival	Critics' Choice Award		Won
2019	London Film Festival	Sutherland Award: First Feature Competition		Won
2019	Mumbai Film Festival	International Competition: Golden Gateway Award		Nominated
2019	Odyssey Awards	Odyssey Award: Breakthrough Director		Nominated
2019	Pingyao International Film Festival	People's Choice Award: Best of Fest – Best Film		Nominated
2019	Prix Louis Delluc	Prix Louis Delluc: Best First Film		Nominated
2019	San Sebastián International Film Festival	Zabaltegi-Tabakalera Prize		Nominated
2019	Stockholm Film Festival	Impact Award		Nominated
2019	Toronto Film Critics Association Awards	TFCA Award: Best First Feature		Nominated
2019	Women Film Critics Circle Awards	WFCC Award: Best Woman Storyteller		Nominated
2020	Austin Film Critics Association	AFCA Award: Best First Film		Nominated
2020	Black Reel Awards	Outstanding Director, Motion Picture. Outstanding Emerging Director. Outstanding First Screenplay.		Nominated
2020	Cinema Eye Honors Awards, US	Heterodox Award		Nominated
2020	Cèsar Awards, France	Cèsar: Best First Film		Nominated
2020	Directors Guild of America, USA	DGA Award: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Feature Film		Nominated
2020	Gold Derby Awards	Gold Derby Award: Foreign Language Film		Nominated
2020	Image Awards (NAACP)	Image Award: Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Film)		Nominated
2020	International Cinephile Society Awards	ICS Award: Best Debut Feature		Nominated
2020	Lumière Awards, France	Lumière Award: Best First Film		Nominated
2020	Online Film and Television Association	OFTA Film Award: Best Feature Debut		Nominated
2020	Online Film Critics Society Awards	OFCS Award: Best Debut		Nominated
2020	Palm Springs International Film Festival	Directors to Watch FIPRESCI Prize		Won
2024	Berlin International Film Festival	Golden Bear	Dahomey	Won [27]

References

1. Mati Diop director of ATLANTICS in conversation with Reclaim the Frame , retrieved 6 December 2021
2. "Festival Scope". pro.festivalscope.com. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
3. "Mati Diop". Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
4. "Mati Diop". Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
5. Obenson, Tambay. "Meet the First Black Woman in the Cannes Competition Lineup: Mati Diop". IndieWire. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
6. "Mati Diop, Director of Dahomey, Launches US University Tour". Villa Albertine. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
7. "Mati Diop | IFFR". iffr.com. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
8. "Media City alumna is first black female director to win at Cannes | The Sarnia Observer".
9. Rigoulet, Laurent (9 July 2013). ""Mille Soleils", de Mati Diop, découverte ensorcelante du Festival du documentaire de Marseille". Télérama (in French). Retrieved 27 April 2022.
10. Scott, A. O. (19 January 2015). "Stuck, but Trying to Leave". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
11. "Mati Diop". YBCA. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
12. "Meet the First Biracial Female Director in the Cannes Competition". The Hollywood Reporter. 9 May 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
13. Page, Thomas (21 May 2019). "Cannes 2019: 'Atlantics' director Mati Diop is the first biracial female contender for the Palme d'Or". CNN Style. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
14. Picard, Andréa (13 December 2013). "Film/Art : In the Realm of the Senses: Mati Diop on Mille soleils". Cinema Scope. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
15. Turan, Kenneth (25 May 2019). "Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' and Mati Diop's 'Atlantics' make history at Cannes Film Festival". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 31 May 2019.
16. Obenson, Tambay (25 May 2019). "'Atlantics': Netflix's Aggressive Africa Push Continues With Acquisition of Cannes Grand Prix Winner". IndieWire. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
17. Roxborough, Scott (24 February 2024). "Mati Diop Doc 'Dahomey' Wins Berlin Golden Bear". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
18. "Berlinale: le documentaire "Dahomey" de Mati Diop remporte l'Ours d'or". TV5MONDE (in French). 24 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
19. Lavallée, Eric (6 April 2013). "Interview: Mati Diop (Simon Killer)". ioncinema.com. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
20. Hynes, Dev (1 May 2025). "Mati Diop: 'I dream my films very deep'". Financial Times. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
21. Aguilar, Carlos. "A Language Possessed and Reconquered: Mati Diop on Atlantics | Interviews | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com/. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
22. "'Atlantics' Is A Haunting Refugee Story — Of The Women Left Behind In Senegal". NPR . Archived from the original on 12 May 2023.
23. "Mati Diop | Metal Magazine".
24. "CruzID Gold Login – Stale Request". login.ucsc.edu. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
25. "Bong Joon-ho's Parasite Wins the Palme d'Or at Cannes". Variety. 25 May 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
26. Film, Guardian (6 May 2019). "Cannes festival 2019: full list of films". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
27. Abbatescianni, Davide (24 February 2024). "Mati Diop's Dahomey bags the Berlinale Golden Bear". Cineuropa. Retrieved 25 February 2024.

External links

• Mati Diop at IMDb