Tony Gatlif

Tony Gatlif—born Boualem Michel Dahmani (Arabic: بوعلام دحماني)—was a French director, screenwriter, composer, actor, and producer, born on September 10, 1948, in Algiers, and who died on September 2, 2026, in Arles.

Tony Gatlif was born in the suburbs of Algiers during the French colonial era into a modest family of diverse origins: his father was Kabyle, and his mother was a Gypsy of Andalusian descent. He spent his childhood in a shantytown, living life on the streets interspersed with sporadic schooling; it was there that he discovered cinema thanks to a teacher who screened films on a stretched sheet—a formative experience that captivated him and shaped his vocation. At the age of twelve, he left home, settled in Algiers, and worked as a shoeshine boy.