Taieb Louhichi(1948-2018)

Taïeb Louhichi is a Tunisian director born on June 16, 1948 in Mareth. After literature and sociology studies which resulted in a doctorate degree, he turned towards cinematography and was trained at the Institut de Formation Cinématographique and Vaugirard Street School in Paris.

He shot several short films such as « Mon village, un village parmi tant d'autres » (My village, a village among others), winner of the Golden Tanit at the Cinematographic Days of Carthage in 1972, « Le Métayer » (The Sharecropper), awarded in many festivals in 1976 and « Carthage, An 12 » (Carthage, year 12). Louhichi released his debut feature film, Shadow of the Earth, in 1982. Shadow of the Earth won several awards at the 8th Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO), including best screenplay. Louhichi's debut was also screened by the International Critics' Week in Cannes. In 1987, he shot « Goree, island of grandfather » followed in 1989 by « Layla, my reason » which was selected for official competition at the Venice Film Festival of 1991 and received the Audience Award at the first African Film Festival in Milan.

He was also named Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France.

Louhichi suffered serious injuries in a 2006 car accident in the United Arab Emirates while visiting the country to chair the jury of an Emirati film festival.

In 2011, he filmed the documentary Les Gens de l'étincelle (People of the Spark) on the Tunisian Revolution. He released L'Enfant du soleil (The Child of the Sun) in 2013. His last feature film was 2017's La Rumeur de l'eau (Water Rumours).

In 2020, his hometown Mareth is organizing the first edition of the Taïeb Louhichi Film Festival.

Honors and Awards:

• Carthage Film Festival (1972) : Golden Tanit (short documentary) for Mon village, un village parmi tant d'autres (My village, a village among others)
• Carthage Film Festival (1976) : Critics' Prize (short documentary) for El Khammès (The Sharecropper)
• International Short Film Festival Oberhausen (1977) : International Jury Prize for El Khammès (The Sharecropper)
• Cabourg Film Festival (1977) : Special Jury Prize and Press Prize for El Khammès (The Sharecropper)
• Festival international du court métrage de Lille (1977) : Citation Award for El Khammès (The Sharecropper)
• ACCT (1979) : Great Prize (shot documentary) for El Khammès (The Sharecropper)
• Cannes Film Festival (1982) : Unesco Prize and Mention of the Ecumenical Jury for L'Ombre de la terre (Shadow of the earth)
• Mannheim-Heidelberg International Filmfestival (1982) : Golden Doukat for L'Ombre de la terre (Shadow of the earth)
• Taormina Film Fest (1982) : City Prize and Italian Critic Prize for L'Ombre de la terre (Shadow of the earth)
• Moscow International Film Festival (1983) : Special Jury Prize for L'Ombre de la terre (Shadow of the earth)
• Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (1983) : Best Screenplay and Best Operator for L'Ombre de la terre (Shadow of the earth)
• International Film Festival Vues d'Afrique (1985) : Grand Prize of Les Journées du cinéma africain de Montréal for L'Ombre de la terre (Shadow of the earth)
• Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (1991) : Best Sound Editing for Layla, ma raison (Layla, my reason)
• African, Asian and Latin American Film Festival of Milan (1991) : Audience Award for Layla, ma raison (Layla, my reason)
• Rencontres cinématographiques de Dakar (1994) : Golden Dak RECIDAK for Kër Jo Ouakam
• Bari International Film Festival (1998) : Grand Prize for Noces de lune (Wedding of the moon)
• MNET (1998) : Prix du meilleur décor pour Noces de lune (Wedding of the moon)
• International Film Festival Vues d'Afrique (1999) : Mention de la jeunesse aux Journées du cinéma africain
• Arab Film Festival Rotterdam (2004) : Special Jury Prize for La Danse du vent (Dance of the wind)
• African Film Festival in Khouribga (2004) : Prize of La Cinéphilie and Best Actor for La Danse du vent (Dance of the wind)
• Festival international du cinéma arabe de Gabès (2015) : Prix d'honneur pour l'ensemble de son oeuvre
• Ecrans Noirs Festival (2015) : Charles Menzah Honor Prize for the Director's works
• Zagora Transsaharan Film Festival (2018) : Special Prize for his work
• Special Prize for his work at the 2018 Alexandria International Film Festival and the 2018 Annaba Mediterranean Film Festival
• Award of Honor for all of his work at the International Festival of Arab Cinema in Gabès 2018
• Tribute to his work at the Cinémathèque in Tunis 2018, at the Cinema La Clef Paris 2018 (by TV5 Monde Afrique, the International Organization of La Francophonie, the Guild of African Directors and Producers, Cinemawon, and CNCI Tunisia).
• Tribute for his work at Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou 2019 and at the Rencontres Cinématographiques de Dakar 2019