Abdellah Taïa

Abdellah Taïa

Biography

Abdellah Taïa was born in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, in 1973 and lives today in Paris. His novels include “Mon Maroc“ (2000), “L`armée du Salut“ (2006), “Une mélancolie árabe“ (2008), “Le jour du roi“ (Prix de Flore winner, 2010) and “Infidels“ (2012), through which he has gained worldwide recognition. In 2006, he was the first Moroccan author to come out as homosexual. He was quoted in the Moroccan news weekly Tel Quel: "I never hide. I never put that aspect of my personality aside. I know so many gay intellectuals or writers who say, `I am not going to talk about homosexuality because it doesn’t interest people.` But for me this makes no sense. It would be like a heterosexual who doesn’t present himself as a heterosexual." The interview sparked a scandal in Morocco, but it triggered a debate about the rights of homosexuals in North Africa and the Arab world. He made his filmmaking debut in fall 2013 at the Venice Film Festival with his work L` ARMÉE DU SALUT (Salvation Army, an adaption of his novel of the same name). He said in early 2014 at the Rotterdam International Film Festival that it had always been his dream to make films.

Filmography

Festivaleröffnung / Opening / Ouverture : Guest

Two Men and a wedding (2012): Guest

Queer Africa III : Guest

L'Armée du Salut (2013): , Direction, Guest