Aïssa Maïga is one of international cinema's most politically engaged figures. First known for her work as an actress, most notably in front of the cameras of Alain Tanner (Jonas et Lila à demain), Cédric Klapisch (Les Poupées Russes), Michael Haneke (Caché), Abderrahmane Sissako (Bamako, for which she won a César) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind), she is also a filmmaker. After directing the documentary Regard noir, which questions the representation of black women on screen, she asserts and confirms her determination to take on contemporary struggles with Marcher sur l'eau, which premiered in Cannes. In 2018, Aïssa Maïga published the essay Noire n'est pas mon métier (Black is not my profession) alongside 15 French actresses, which exposed the discrimination and stereotypes black and mixed-race women face in the cultural world. In 2020, she made her mark on the César ceremony by denouncing the lack of diversity in French cinema.

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French