Dominique Cabrera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dominique Cabrera
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| Born | 21 December 1957 Relizane, Algeria
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| Occupation | Film director Screenwriter Film critic Professor |
| Years active | 1981–present |
Dominique Cabrera (born 21 December 1957) is a talented French film director, screenwriter, and film critic. She has also taught filmmaking at famous schools like La Fémis in France and Harvard University in the United States. Many of her films have been shown at major international film festivals. These include the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlinale, and the Toronto International Film Festival.
About Dominique Cabrera
Early Life and Education
Dominique Cabrera was born in 1957 in Relizane, Algeria. When she was a child in 1962, her family moved to France. She studied film at a well-known school in Paris called Institut des hautes études cinématographiques (IDHEC). She graduated from there in 1981. Today, this school is known as La Fémis.
Starting Her Film Career
Between 1982 and 1993, Dominique Cabrera directed five short films. These included both documentaries, which show real life, and fiction films, which tell made-up stories. Two of her films from the 1990s, Chronique d'une banlieue ordinaire and Une poste à la Courneuve, helped her become known.
In 1990, a film producer named Didier Haudepin read one of her scripts. He saw that she was a very promising new talent. His support helped her make her first full-length movie, L'autre côté de la mer, six years later.
Dominique Cabrera's Films
Exploring Important Themes
Dominique Cabrera's films often deal with important topics. She makes documentaries, fiction films, and even films that mix both styles. Critics say she doesn't judge her characters. Instead, she fills her films with emotion and wonder, letting viewers decide what they think.
Her fiction films often explore themes like family, motherhood, and how people from different cultures fit into a new society. Cabrera herself has roots in Algeria, which is why she is interested in how people adapt and the history between France and the Maghreb region. Her films also touch on ideas of hope, doubt, and feeling discouraged.
Notable Feature Films
L'autre côté de la mer (1997)
This was Dominique Cabrera's first full-length fiction film. It looks at how people from different backgrounds live in France today. The story is about a wealthy French man who travels to Paris for eye surgery. His doctor was born in Algeria but grew up in France. Through their families' stories, the film shows the lasting effects of Algeria's fight for independence in 1962. This film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival.
Nadia et les hippopotames (1999)
Cabrera made her second feature film, Nadia et les hippopotames, in 1999. This film mixed real-life documentary parts with a fictional story. Much of the movie takes place during a real train workers' strike in 1995. It shows actual railroad workers at night during winter.
Demain et encore demain, Journal 1995 (1997)
This film was like a personal diary for Cabrera. It was one of the first full-length movies shot on video to be shown in French cinemas. The film, made in 1995, shows both the struggles and joys of its creator. Cabrera put herself into the film, exploring how making a documentary can be like therapy. This film was a big moment in her career.
Folle Embellie (2004)
In 2004, Cabrera made Folle Embellie, a historical fiction film set in June 1940. This was during World War II, when there were many bombings. The film tells a fairy tale about how nature can offer a safe place for people escaping from a mental hospital. The story was inspired by something Cabrera heard when she worked in a psychiatric hospital in the 1970s.
Le Lait de la Tendresse Humaine (2001)
This film directly explores the challenges of motherhood. It features an actress named Marilyne Canto, who plays a mother struggling with postpartum depression. She leaves her family suddenly and hides in a neighbor's apartment. Critics praised the film for its honest look at a mother's difficulties.
Quand la ville mord (2009)
Quand la ville mord was Cabrera's first film based on a book. It was a crime story made for the television station France 2. The film was praised for showing the realistic struggles of a young African woman forced into difficult situations. To make the film accurate, Cabrera and the lead actress, Aïssa Maïga, met with people who had experienced similar challenges in Paris.
Working with Actors and Crew
Dominique Cabrera often works with the same actors in her films. These include Marilyne Canto, Yolande Moreau, Olivier Gourmet, and Ariane Ascaride. Sometimes she also works with more famous actors like Patrick Bruel and Miou-Miou. She has also worked with the same film crew since the 1980s, including her director of photography, Hélène Louvart.
Dominique Cabrera has also acted in three films herself: Un petit cas de conscience, Douches froides, and Belleville-Tokyo.
Her films have received a lot of praise from critics. She has been nominated for a César Award (a major French film award) and two nominations at the Cannes Film Festival.
Filmography
Features
- Chronique d'une banlieue ordinaire (1992)
- Rester là-bas (1992)
- Une poste à la Courneuve (1994)
- L'autre côté de la mer (1997)
- Demain et encore demain, journal 1995 (1997)
- Nadia et les hippopotames (2000)
- The Milk of Human Kindness (2001)
- Folle embellie (2004)
- Quand la ville mord (2009)
- Grandir (2013)
- Ça ne peut pas continuer comme ça (2013)
- Corniche Kennedy (2016)
Shorts
- J'ai droit à la parole (1981)
- À trois pas, trésor caché (1984)
- L'art d'aimer (1985)
- La politique du pire (1987)
- Ici là bas (1988)
- Un balcon au Val Fourré (1990)
- Traverser le jardin (1993)
- Rêves de ville (1993)
- Ranger les photos (2009)
- Goat Milk (2013)
See also
In Spanish: Dominique Cabrera para niños
