Sabrina Draoui

Draoui was born in Batna, Algeria, in 1977, to an Algerian father and a French mother. Growing up, she was involved in a variety of activities, excelling in swimming, where she finished second in Algeria in her age group in 1989. She also trained in piano and karate. Draoui graduated with a degree in chemistry from the University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene in 2001. Her career began in the creative field when, in 2001, she supervised a group of photographers at the World University Youth Festival. From 2001 to 2004, Draoui worked as a sales representative for GROUPE VIGIL. She also pursued her passion for visual arts during this period, completing an internship in video editing at the Centre Culturel Algiers between 2004 and 2005. Additionally, she worked as a photographer and camerawoman for KLEM Agence de Pub et Communication from 2004 to 2006. Draoui’s photography skills were recognized early on. She was the national winner of an artistic photography competition in Algiers in 2004, and in 2006, she won the Euro-Mediterranean “Crossed Views” photo competition. Her work was showcased internationally in 2007 at exhibitions in Algiers, Rabat, Rome, and Alexandria. In 2008, Draoui transitioned into filmmaking, serving as an assistant on the short films *Orange Amère* and *Recyclage*. Later that year, she directed her own short film, *Goulili*, which was well-received at multiple film festivals, including the Carthage Cinematographic Days in Tunis, the Jordan Short Film Festival in Amman, and the 1st Dakar International Festival, where it won the Grand Prix (Audience Award). The film gained praise for its open-ended narrative that posed thought-provoking questions without offering clear answers. Draoui continued to build her film career, directing *Albert Camus et moi* and *50 ans, 50 femmes* in 2013. In 2016, she directed *Hada Makan*, a film that won the prize for best documentary screenplay at the Algiers Cinematographic Days, following a grant from the *Rencontres cinématographiques de Béjaïa*. Her more recent work includes being a production assistant for *Inspecteur llob* in 2019. Draoui is fluent in Arabic and English and has established herself as an important figure in the Algerian and Euro-Mediterranean cultural scenes. Draoui’s diverse background, from photography to filmmaking, and her international recognition reflect her versatility and passion for storytelling across multiple media.