Algerian actor Ahmed Benaissa died yesterday at the age of 78. He died only hours before the debut of his film Son of Ramses at the Cannes Film Festival. The Algerian Ministry of Culture broke the news. According to an official announcement from MK2 Films, the Cannes premiere of Son of Ramses will be dedicated to Benaissa. Clement Cogitore, the film’s director, stated:
“I am profoundly grieved by Ahmed Benaissa’s untimely death. The film would not exist without him, and words cannot describe our sadness at the film’s Cannes premiere today.”
Ahmed Benaissa, Algerian Actor and Comedian, Dies at 78 Hours Ahead of ‘Sons of Ramses’ Premiere at Cannes, died after a battle with a long illness. Benaissa was known for his hoarse voice and comedic
😢 pic.twitter.com/vZzgOkRvuX— Sumner (@Atimad101) May 21, 2022
Benaissa died after a protracted illness, and no additional information about his funeral has been released.
Ahmed Benaissa Early Age
Benaissa, who was born on March 2, 1944, was best known for his roles in films such as Etoile aux dents ou Poulou le Magnifique, Gates of the Sun, and Close Enemies. Benaissa’s father was an activist who was arrested and imprisoned in Algeria before being liberated upon the country’s independence. Ahmed then relocated to Paris, France, where he stayed for 18 years. He subsequently attended the National Theater School to further his education.
Career
Derri Berkani directed his first picture, Etoile aux dents ou Poulou le magnifique, which was released in 1971. The film was a box office hit, and Benaissa went on to feature in additional films such as Leila et les autres, Buamama, and Le Clandestin.
He then portrayed the character of Haroun in the film L’Etranger de Camus. Ahmed then directed and acted in Algiers’ National Theater and Oran’s Regional Theater. In 2013, he received the award for Best Direction for the film Nedjma. He played Rida in Ramzi Ben Sliman’s debut feature film, My Revolution, which was released in 2015.
Son of Ramses, in which he portrayed Ramses, a competent clairvoyant in the cosmopolitan Parisian area of La Goutte d’Or, was his most recent feature. When a group of brave adolescents begins terrorizing the neighbours, the equilibrium of his company and the whole neighbourhood is upset, until one day he gets a true vision.
