Mati Diop on her story of ghosts and lost love in 'Atlantics,' Senegal's Oscar entry
LOS ANGELES - Mati Diop's fiction feature debut "Atlantics" was a groundbreaking work even before it won the Grand Prix at this year's Cannes Film Festival. It was the first film by a black female director chosen for the prestigious main competition at the festival.
Since receiving the prize, awarded by the jury at Cannes led by director Alejandro Inarritu, "Atlantics" has dazzled on the festival circuit. It's played in Toronto, New York, London and recently at L.A.'s AFI Fest. Diop received the inaugural Mary Pickford Award for emerging female talent at the Toronto International Film Festival, and "Atlantics" was selected to be Senegal's entry for international film feature at the Academy Awards.
Diop was born in Paris to a French mother and a Senegalese father. Her
