About the guests
John Akomfrah is a Ghanaian-British artist, writer, film director, screenwriter, theorist and curator known for his visually compelling narratives and thought-provoking explorations of identity, migration, and history. He has made significant contributions to the landscape of contemporary cinema, such as The Nine Muses and Speak Like a Child. Commissioned to represent the UK at the 2024 Venice Biennale, his impactful works have often challenged mainstream representations and have shed light on underrepresented voices, particularly in the context of black and immigrant experiences. Akomfrah was knighted in the 2023 New Year’s Honours list, in recognition of his services to the Arts, and his work features in major institutional collections such as the Tate, Centre Pompidou, MOMA, the National Gallery of Canada and the Guggenheim in New York.
Abderrahmane Sissako is a Mauritanian-born Malian master filmmaker whose work is one of the most vital voices in modern world cinema. Celebrated for his poignant storytelling and acute social commentaries, his films often address themes of cultural clash, belonging, and the complexities of modern life in Africa. His film Timbuktu won the Palmes d’Or in Cannes in 2014 and was nominated for a BAFTA Award (Best Foreign Language Film) in 2016. After rising to prominence in 2002 with his contemplative yet humorous film about a Mauritanian boy’s desire for a light bulb (Waiting for Happiness), which earned the title of Foreign Filmmaker of the Year at Cannes, his films – which deal with globalisation and identity politics – have offered serious narratives about the realities facing Africa today, told through strikingly beautiful images.
