Born and raised in France in 1995, Aline-Sitoé always loved drawing and telling stories. At the age of 13, she started filming her friends after school and created short thriller movies. While growing up, she wanted to find out how a real movie was made. She took a cinema class in high school and went to a cinema school for three years. After getting a screenwriting certificate at UQÀM (Montreal), she has worked as a passionate independent filmmaker.
As a young creative, she has been directing and helping to produce a decent amount of projects from music videos to documentaries, as well as short films. She has a strong multicultural background which often brings her to talk about social injustices and mixing cultures in her projects (Ceeb, Cannes 2019) or the Bronx Berlin Connection.
She believes art is a bridge to unite communities, educate and create understanding through individuals as much as a way to invite an audience to get more deeply into its own reflection.
Tell us about your experience at the Hip Hop Film Festival Europe?
Even though the Festival happened so fast, having the opportunity to talk about our film, to show it, and to have access to other stories has been really enriching. The fact that we were chosen in the official selection was an honor, we never would have thought it could be possible. Even though the world situation prevented us from having face to face conversations, and from having actual screenings, the discussions and interviews were really interesting. Keeping the debate in action no matter what!
Why are stories from the culture important? As Olad mentioned, it's all about keeping people and the culture well represented. And even if you're in the culture, you can lack knowledge of what's happening on the other side of the world. That's why I think your European and African Edition is so important. It's about showing more than what the media show.
What projects are you working on now? I am currently developing two short films that I intend to direct. One here in Montreal and one in Europe which will be a screen dance project. I also work on two documentaries, one as the editor and another one as assistant director.
Why do you think the Harlem film house and Hip Hop Film Festival Europe is important? As I mentioned before, I really believe that connexions can be created through these experiences. I think art creates bridges and connections that bring more understanding between people. Hip Hop definitely represents that. That's the reason why it's important to keep those stories, those initiatives, to voices on a platform that can bring them into the light.