Director Mati Diop Becomes First Black Woman To Win An Award At Cannes

French-Senegalese actress and direct, Mati Drop, made history and became the first black woman to win an award at the Cannes Film Festival in its 72-year history. She was also the first Black woman to ever have a film accepted into competition at the festival.

Diop, took home the Grand Prix award, which is the equivalent of a silver/ third place prize, for her film Atlantics. The movie is a Senegalese-set drama that combines social consciousness with the supernatural in a tale of sexual politics among young migrants.

Diop said, “My first feeling to be the first black female director was a little sadness that this only happened today in 2019 ... I knew it as I obviously don’t know any black women who came here before. I knew it but it’s always a reminder that so much work needs to be done still.”

Cannes Film Festival lasted 11 days and ended on May 25th.

Congratulations Mati!