Mani Benchelah

Documenting the world's realities with raw precision, Mani Benchelah, born in 1978 in Paris, France, began his directorial journey in the early 2000s. Predominantly working in documentary films, he's distinguished for his work "This is Exile: Diaries of Child Refugees" that has earned him international acclaim, despite not having won any major film festival awards. Benchelah's directorial style is characterized by a stark, unflinching honesty that seeks to present the harsh realities of the world without unnecessary embellishment. In the world of documentary filmmaking, Benchelah stands out as a compassionate observer, someone who masterfully translates human experiences into cinematic narratives.