Points of encounter: Being an African filmmaker with a global gaze

A discussion and screening with the Beninese writer-director Ange-Régis Hounkpatin on his creative process across multiple imaginaries.
About this Event

Join us for a talk and screening with writer-director Ange-Régis Hounkpatin, who will take us through his journey across screenwriting, directing, and film and television projects, reflecting on how his African experience has shaped his perspective and approach to cinema. Drawing on excerpts from his films, Hounkpatin will explore questions of creativity and the circulation of imaginaries between Benin and France, as well as the constraints and freedoms that emerge from navigating two (or more) cinematic cultures. For him, filmmaking extends beyond simply narrating one’s geographical origins: it is a way of looking at the world through a perspective enriched by a specific cultural experience.

Born and raised in Cotonou, Benin, Ange-Régis Hounkpatin grew up immersed in both Beninese and French cultures—an experience that continues to shape his artistic imagination. After initially studying literature in France, he turned to cinema and graduated from the Directing programme at the prestigious La Fémis in Paris in 2013.

Hounkpatin has written and directed several award-winning short films, screened at international festivals including Palm Springs ShortFest, Filmfest Dresden, and the Louxor African Film Festival, and broadcast on Canal+ and France 2. Alongside developing feature films—including ORI, an Afrofuturist feature project—he has written for television, with credits including Season 2 of Wara (TV5 Monde), Black Santiagos Club (Canal+ International), La Cerise sur les Accras (Arte.tv), and Princesse Téné, an urban western set in Ouagadougou. Across his work, Hounkpatin explores the complex relationships between memory, spirituality, displacement, and cultural roots.

Access

Please let us know if you require any support accessing this event by emailing [email protected]

Please see ECA's privacy notice for more information on how your personal details provided will be used and stored.