Mai Ekhou is an award-winning Mauritanian filmmaker
and photographer whose work bridges the language of
cinema and documentary photography.
Over the course of her career, she has directed
seven short films The End (2014), Ishtar and Isisi
(2015), The First Box (2016), It's Not Over Yet
(2019), Pastitsio (2020), Gone and Never Back (2020),
and 70 Women (2021) each reflecting a distinctive
visual language that connects the moving image with
the stillness of photography.
Her work has been featured by Radio France
Internationale (RFI), which recognized The End as
an experimental cinematic work embodying a new and
emerging voice in Mauritanian cinema. Her photography
has been exhibited at the Beirut Image Festival, one
of the region's most prestigious platforms for
contemporary photography.
Internationally recognized for her photographic
practice, Ekhou was named a Finalist in the
LensCulture Black & White Photography Awards 2022.
She has also received over 160 awards on ViewBug
and has participated in the 35Awards International
Photography Competition.
Beyond her creative practice, she has served as a
jury and selection committee member for international
film festivals in Colombia, the United States, Syria,
and Palestine including the Hollywood Las Vegas
Film Festival and the Jerusalem Visual Media Festival.
www.maiekhou.com
