El Kheyar Zidani is a French film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his critically acclaimed films such as “A Prophet” (2009), “The French Dispatch” (2020), “The Secret of the Grain” (2007), and “Outside the Law” (2010).
El Kheyar Zidani was born in Algeria in 1966. He moved to France in 1986 to pursue a career in film. He started out as an assistant director on a number of projects, including films by Jean-Jacques Beineix and Luc Besson. In the early 1990s, he wrote and directed his own short films, which won awards at festivals around the world.
In 2000, Zidani wrote and directed his first feature film, “The Secret of the Grain”, which won the Grand Prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. The film tells the story of a North African immigrant struggling to make a life for himself and his family in France. The film was a critical and commercial success, earning Zidani international recognition.
In 2009, Zidani released “A Prophet”, a crime drama about an Arab prisoner who rises through the ranks of the criminal underworld. The film won the Grand Prix at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
In 2010, Zidani released his fourth feature film, “Outside the Law”, a drama about Algerian immigrants in France. The film was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.
In 2020, Zidani wrote and directed his fifth feature film, “The French Dispatch”. The film is a comedic drama set in a fictional French newspaper office. It was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation.
El Kheyar Zidani is one of the most acclaimed French filmmakers of his generation. His films have won numerous awards at international film festivals and have been critically praised for their universal themes and engaging stories. He is known for his ability to tell stories about difficult subjects with humanity and sensitivity.
