Med Hondo
Encyclopedia
Med Hondo is a Mauritania
n film director
, producer
, screenwriter
, actor and voice actor
. He emigrated to France in 1959 and began to work in film during the 1960s. He received critical acclaim for his 1967 directorial début Soleil O
.
region of Mauritania. His mother was Mauritanian and his father Senegal
ese. In 1954 he went to live in Rabat
, Morocco
to train to become a chef
at the International Hotel School there. He emigrated
to France
in 1959 and found work first in Marseilles and then in Paris
, variously as a cook
, farm labourer, waiter, dockworker
and delivery man
. He found that he, and other Africa
n immigrants, were unable to find jobs in their chosen professions, and in the menial jobs they could find, were paid less than the French. The difficulty of making a living during this time, as well as racism
he experienced, eventually provided inspiration for his films, including Soleil O
and Les 'bicots-Nègres' vos voisins.
Hondo began to take classes in acting and directing, and studied under French actress Françoise Rosay
, acting in classic plays by Shakespeare
, Molière
and Jean Racine
. He was unable to fully express himself with French repertoire theatre
, and in 1966 formed his own theatre company with Guadelopean actor Robert Liensol. Named Shango (from Shango
, the Yoruba
god of thunder), and later Griot
-Shango, the company produced plays relating more to the experiences of Black people, including work by René Depestre
, Aimé Césaire
, Daniel Boukman and Guy Menga.
In the late 1960s, Hondo started taking small roles in television and films. At the same time, he began to learn the craft of film making by careful observation of the work of others, and began to get work behind the camera. He began his first film, Soleil O
in 1965. Made on a budget of $30,000, Soleil O was financed by Hondo's work dubbing
American films into French
. It played at during International Critics' Week at the 1970 Cannes Film Festival
where it received critical acclaim. It received a Golden Leopard Award at the 1970 Locarno International Film Festival
.
Some of Hondo's acting work has been as a voice actor, in films and television series like Funky Cops
and Asterix and the Vikings
. He has worked on the dubbing of many English language
films into French, voicing characters of Eddie Murphy
, Danny Glover
(on the rare occasions when he was not dubbed by white actor Richard Darbois
), Sidney Poitier
, Morgan Freeman
and Ben Kingsley
. He has dubbed several of Eddie Murphy
's films including The Nutty Professor
and the part of Donkey
in 2001's Shrek
.
Med Hondo explains on his website that he met with Danny Glover
in 1991 and exposed his then current project to him : a biopic of Haiti
an revolutionary
Toussaint Louverture. An enthusiastic Glover would have then voiced his interest in playing the main part and taking part in the production, before cutting all communication with Hondo and co-writer Claude Veillot. Hondo now claims that Glover's current Louverture biopic project, financially backed by Hugo Chavez
, was inspired by his own original screenplay and addressed an open letter to Glover in which he denies assertions from Glover's "Louverture Films" company that the script was a commission paid by Glover to Hondo. Hondo also mentions his meeting with Glover in an English-spoken interview on French international news channel France 24.
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
n film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, actor and voice actor
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
. He emigrated to France in 1959 and began to work in film during the 1960s. He received critical acclaim for his 1967 directorial début Soleil O
Soleil O
Soleil O is a 1967 French/Mauritanian drama film directed by Med Hondo.-Synopsis:An African immigrant to France struggles to find work, facing racism and discrimination.-Cast:*Yane Barry as White Girl*Bernard Fresson as Friend...
.
Biography
Hondo was born in 1936 in Ain Oul Beri Mathar in the AtarAtar, Mauritania
Atar is a town in northwestern Mauritania, the capital of the Adrar Region and the main settlement on the Adrar Plateau. It is home to an airport, a museum and a historic mosque, constructed in 1674...
region of Mauritania. His mother was Mauritanian and his father Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
ese. In 1954 he went to live in Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
to train to become a chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
at the International Hotel School there. He emigrated
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1959 and found work first in Marseilles and then in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, variously as a cook
Cook (profession)
A cook is a person who prepares food for consumption. In Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Canada this profession requires government approval ....
, farm labourer, waiter, dockworker
Stevedore
Stevedore, dockworker, docker, dock labourer, wharfie and longshoreman can have various waterfront-related meanings concerning loading and unloading ships, according to place and country....
and delivery man
Delivery (commerce)
Delivery is the process of transporting goods. Most goods are delivered through a transportation network. Cargo are primarily delivered via roads and railroads on land, shipping lanes on the sea and airline networks in the air...
. He found that he, and other Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n immigrants, were unable to find jobs in their chosen professions, and in the menial jobs they could find, were paid less than the French. The difficulty of making a living during this time, as well as racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
he experienced, eventually provided inspiration for his films, including Soleil O
Soleil O
Soleil O is a 1967 French/Mauritanian drama film directed by Med Hondo.-Synopsis:An African immigrant to France struggles to find work, facing racism and discrimination.-Cast:*Yane Barry as White Girl*Bernard Fresson as Friend...
and Les 'bicots-Nègres' vos voisins.
Hondo began to take classes in acting and directing, and studied under French actress Françoise Rosay
Françoise Rosay
Françoise Rosay was a French opera singer, diseuse, and actress who enjoyed a film career of over sixty years and who became a legendary figure in French cinema...
, acting in classic plays by Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, Molière
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
and Jean Racine
Jean Racine
Jean Racine , baptismal name Jean-Baptiste Racine , was a French dramatist, one of the "Big Three" of 17th-century France , and one of the most important literary figures in the Western tradition...
. He was unable to fully express himself with French repertoire theatre
Repertory
Repertory or rep, also called stock in the United States, is a term used in Western theatre and opera.A repertory theatre can be a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation...
, and in 1966 formed his own theatre company with Guadelopean actor Robert Liensol. Named Shango (from Shango
Shango
In the Yorùbá religion, Sàngó is perhaps one of the most popular Orisha; also known as the god of fire, lightning and thunder...
, the Yoruba
Yoruba Culture
Yoruba culture refers to the idiosyncratic cultural norms of Yorubaland and the Yoruba people.-Sculpture:The Yoruba are said to be prolific sculptors, famous for their magnificent terra cotta works throughout the 12th and 14th century; artists also harnests their capacity in making artwork out of...
god of thunder), and later Griot
Griot
A griot or jeli is a West African storyteller. The griot delivers history as a poet, praise singer, and wandering musician. The griot is a repository of oral tradition. As such, they are sometimes also called bards...
-Shango, the company produced plays relating more to the experiences of Black people, including work by René Depestre
René Depestre
René Depestre is a Haitian poet and communist. He lived in Cuba as an exile from the Duvalier regime for many years and was a founder of the Casa de las Americas publishing house. He is best known for his poetry.-Life:...
, Aimé Césaire
Aimé Césaire
Aimé Fernand David Césaire was a French poet, author and politician from Martinique. He was "one of the founders of the négritude movement in Francophone literature".-Student, educator, and poet:...
, Daniel Boukman and Guy Menga.
In the late 1960s, Hondo started taking small roles in television and films. At the same time, he began to learn the craft of film making by careful observation of the work of others, and began to get work behind the camera. He began his first film, Soleil O
Soleil O
Soleil O is a 1967 French/Mauritanian drama film directed by Med Hondo.-Synopsis:An African immigrant to France struggles to find work, facing racism and discrimination.-Cast:*Yane Barry as White Girl*Bernard Fresson as Friend...
in 1965. Made on a budget of $30,000, Soleil O was financed by Hondo's work dubbing
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
American films into French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. It played at during International Critics' Week at the 1970 Cannes Film Festival
1970 Cannes Film Festival
The 1970 Cannes Film Festival was the 23rd competition. This year, Robert Favre LeBret, the founder of the festival, decided not to include any films from Russia and Japan...
where it received critical acclaim. It received a Golden Leopard Award at the 1970 Locarno International Film Festival
Locarno International Film Festival
The Film Festival Locarno is an international film festival held annually in the city of Locarno, Switzerland since 1946. After Cannes and Venice and together with Karlovy Vary, Locarno is the Film Festival with the longest history...
.
Some of Hondo's acting work has been as a voice actor, in films and television series like Funky Cops
Funky Cops
Funky Cops is a French animated series about two cops in San Francisco during the 1970s. In the US it was licensed by 4Kids Entertainment and aired on the Fox Box but was canceled quickly due to dismal ratings and is now an online exclusive in the US. The rest of the series was later seen online...
and Asterix and the Vikings
Asterix and the Vikings
Asterix and the Vikings is an animated feature film, produced in France and Denmark, and directed by Stefan Fjeldmark and Jesper Møller. The story was adapted from the graphic novel Asterix and the Normans, which was written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo...
. He has worked on the dubbing of many English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
films into French, voicing characters of Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
, Danny Glover
Danny Glover
Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.-Early life:...
(on the rare occasions when he was not dubbed by white actor Richard Darbois
Richard Darbois
Richard Darbois is a Canadian actor. He is especially known for his voice: he is the French dub voice of Harrison Ford in some of his films, Batman in the animated series, Captain Harlock, the Genie in Disney's Aladdin, etc...
), Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier
Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
, Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
and Ben Kingsley
Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
. He has dubbed several of Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
's films including The Nutty Professor
The Nutty Professor (1996 film)
The Nutty Professor is a 1996 science fiction-romantic comedy film starring Eddie Murphy. It is a remake of the 1963 film of the same name, starring Jerry Lewis. The original music score was composed by David Newman. The film won an Academy Award for Makeup.Murphy plays benevolent university...
and the part of Donkey
Donkey (Shrek)
Donkey is a fictional talking donkey from the Shrek series of films and he serves as the deuteragonist of the films, voiced by Eddie Murphy. The character has also featured in the original story Shrek!...
in 2001's Shrek
Shrek
Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!...
.
Med Hondo explains on his website that he met with Danny Glover
Danny Glover
Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.-Early life:...
in 1991 and exposed his then current project to him : a biopic of Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
an revolutionary
Revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
Toussaint Louverture. An enthusiastic Glover would have then voiced his interest in playing the main part and taking part in the production, before cutting all communication with Hondo and co-writer Claude Veillot. Hondo now claims that Glover's current Louverture biopic project, financially backed by Hugo Chavez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
, was inspired by his own original screenplay and addressed an open letter to Glover in which he denies assertions from Glover's "Louverture Films" company that the script was a commission paid by Glover to Hondo. Hondo also mentions his meeting with Glover in an English-spoken interview on French international news channel France 24.
Director
- 1967: Soleil OSoleil OSoleil O is a 1967 French/Mauritanian drama film directed by Med Hondo.-Synopsis:An African immigrant to France struggles to find work, facing racism and discrimination.-Cast:*Yane Barry as White Girl*Bernard Fresson as Friend...
- 1974: Les 'bicots-Nègres' vos voisins (Arabs and Niggers, Your Neighbours)
- 1975: Sahel la faim pourquoi
- 1979: West Indies
- 1986: SarraouniaSarraounia (film)Sarraounia is a 1986 historical drama film written and directed by Med Hondo. It is based on a novel of the same name by Nigerien author Abdoulaye Mamani, who co-wrote the screenplay. The novel and film concern the real-life Battle of Lougou between Azna queen Sarraounia and the advancing French...
- 1994: Lumière noire (Black Light)
- 1998: Watani, un monde sans mal
- 2004: Fatima, l'Algérienne de Dakar
Actor
- 1964: Les verts pâturages
- 1965: Bob MoraneBob MoraneBob Morane, a creation of French-speaking Belgian novelist Henri Vernes, the pseudonym of Charles-Henri Dewisme, is a series of adventure books in French, featuring an eponymous protagonist...
as Notomi (television series; two episodes) - 1965: BelphégorBelphegorIn demonology, Belphegor is a demon, and one of the seven princes of Hell, who helps people to make discoveries. He seduces people by suggesting to them ingenious inventions that will make them rich. According to some 16th century demonologists, his power is stronger in April...
as Gaillac (television series) - 1965: Seule à Paris (television series)
- 1966: Retour à Bacoli as Un tirailleur (television series)
- 1967: Un homme de trop as Florent
- 1968: Tante Zita as James
- 1969: A Walk with Love and DeathA Walk with Love and DeathA Walk with Love and Death is a 1969 romantic/drama film directed by John Huston.The story is based the novel by Hans Koningsberger. The film marked the screen debut of Huston's daughter Anjelica Huston...
as Entertainer - 1974: Aux frontières du possible as Le docteur Sosian Cisse (television series)
- 1975: Jo Gaillard as Carlos (television series)
- 1977: The Ambassadors as Med
- 1989–1991: Commissaire MoulinCommissaire MoulinCommissaire Moulin is a French television series on the air since 1976.-Synopsis:The show was created in 1976 and suspended in 1982, only to be resumed in 1989.-Actors:*Yves Rénier: Commissioner Jean-Paul Moulin...
as Max (television series; three episodes) - 1990: 18711871 (film)1871 is a 1990 period film about the rise and fall of the Paris Commune in 1871. It was directed by Ken McMullen and produced by Stewart Richards. The writers were McMullen, James Leahy and Terry James...
as Karl MarxKarl MarxKarl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement... - 1997: La divine poursuite as le pilote
- 2000: Antilles sur Seine as Horace
- 2003: Funky CopsFunky CopsFunky Cops is a French animated series about two cops in San Francisco during the 1970s. In the US it was licensed by 4Kids Entertainment and aired on the Fox Box but was canceled quickly due to dismal ratings and is now an online exclusive in the US. The rest of the series was later seen online...
as Ace (television series; voice) - 2006: Asterix and the VikingsAsterix and the VikingsAsterix and the Vikings is an animated feature film, produced in France and Denmark, and directed by Stefan Fjeldmark and Jesper Møller. The story was adapted from the graphic novel Asterix and the Normans, which was written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo...
as pirate lookout (voice) - 2006: IncontrôlableIncontrolableIncontrolable is an album by the Spanish ska punk band Ska-P. It was released in 2004 and recorded live in Switzerland, Italy and France. It also includes a DVD with 13 of the tracks from the album....
as Rex (voice)
Dubbing
- 1982: GandhiGandhi (film)Gandhi is a 1982 biographical film based on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who led the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. The film was directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Ben Kingsley as Gandhi. They both...
as Ben KingsleyBen KingsleySir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
's Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - 1984: Best DefenseBest DefenseBest Defense is a comedy film starring Dudley Moore and Eddie Murphy. It was released in 1984 by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:The movie takes place as two parallel plots separated by several years: Moore is an engineer developing a targeting system on a tank for the United States Army and Murphy is an...
as Eddie MurphyEddie MurphyEdward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
's Lieutenant T.M. Landry - 1995: Se7enSe7enSeven is a 1995 American thriller film, which also contains horror and neo-noir elements, directed by David Fincher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker. It was distributed by New Line Cinema and stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, R...
as Morgan FreemanMorgan FreemanMorgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
's Detective Lt. William Somerset - 1996: The Nutty ProfessorThe Nutty Professor (1996 film)The Nutty Professor is a 1996 science fiction-romantic comedy film starring Eddie Murphy. It is a remake of the 1963 film of the same name, starring Jerry Lewis. The original music score was composed by David Newman. The film won an Academy Award for Makeup.Murphy plays benevolent university...
as Eddie Murphy's Sherman Klump - 2001: ShrekShrekShrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!...
as Eddie Murphy's DonkeyDonkey (Shrek)Donkey is a fictional talking donkey from the Shrek series of films and he serves as the deuteragonist of the films, voiced by Eddie Murphy. The character has also featured in the original story Shrek!... - 2004: Shrek 2Shrek 2Shrek 2 is a 2004 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film, produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon. It is the second installment in the Shrek film series and the sequel to 2001's Shrek...
as Donkey - 2007: Shrek the ThirdShrek the ThirdShrek the Third is a 2007 American animated film, and the third film in the Shrek series. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was released in U.S. theaters on May 18, 2007...
as Donkey