Mati Diop

Mati Diop (born 22 June 1982) is a highly acclaimed French film director, actress, and screenwriter, best known for her feature film debut, the supernatural romantic drama Atlantics. She notably won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 for Atlantics. Her second feature film, the documentary Dahomey, earned her the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2024. As an actress, she gained recognition from the drama film, 35 Shots of Rum (2008). Born in Paris, France, to Senegalese musician Wasis Diop and art buyer and photographer Christine Brossard, Diop often travelled between France and Senegal during her childhood, molding her transnational identity. Diop trained at Le Fresnoy National Studio of Contemporary Art in France and the Palais de Tokyo's experimental artist studio space Le Pavillon. A fellow at Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study from 2014 to 2015, Diop began her directorial journey in 2004 with her short film Last Night. Her short film Atlantiques (2009), a precursor to the critically acclaimed Atlantics, won multiple awards, and her documentary short Mille Soleils was showcased in several international film festivals. Her work, often reflecting themes of transnationalism, immigration, and post-colonialism, blends sensitively-told narratives with a multicultural and multilingual approach.