Manthia Diawara, a renowned Professor of Comparative Literature and Film at New York University, was born in Mali, West Africa, where his unique cultural heritage would later influence his work.
As a prolific writer and filmmaker, Diawara's essays on art, cinema, and politics have been featured in esteemed publications such as The New York Times Magazine, LA Times, Libération, Mediapart, and Artforum. He is also the author of two critically acclaimed memoirs: In Search of Africa (Harvard University Press, 2000) and We Won't Budge: An African in the World (Basic Books, 2008). Furthermore, Diawara has published numerous books on African and African American cinema.
Diawara's notable films include An Opera of the World (2017),Negritude: A Dialogue between Soyinka and Senghor (2016),Édouard Glissant, One World in Relation (2010),Maison Tropicale (2008),and Rouch in Reverse (1995). His films have been showcased at various festivals, biennials, and exhibition venues worldwide, such as the Bienal de São Paulo, Biennale de Dakar, Biennale de Lubumbashi, Centre Pompidou, documenta, Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA),Lumiar Cité, Museu de Serralves, HKW-Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Manifesta, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Pan-African Film & TV Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO),and Serpentine Galleries.
