Layla Metssitane

Layla Metssitane is a French director, actress and writer of Moroccan origin. When she was fifteen, she took part in her first theater workshop at the Centre Dramatique National of Dijon. Later, under the direction of various theater figures, she interpreted poetic, classical and contemporary works, such as "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (William Shakespeare), "Le Partage de Midi" (Paul Claudel), "Phèdre" (Jean Racine), and "Antigone" (Sophocle) Her theater company "La Compagnie Théâtre des Hommes" (created with Xavier Carrar) is interested in the place of women in our modern and traditional societies. The defense of women's rights - and girls' rights - for access to culture, education, employment, social justice has always nourished her work. Her one-woman play "Stupeur et tremblements", based on a novel written by Amélie Nothomb, in which she acted, directed and adapted, tells the story of two women from different cultures. We are immersed in the cultural clashes between the West, the Middle East and the Far East). It evokes their well-defined place in a Japanese company where patriarchy is very present. It is a monologue with 6 characters (2 female and 4 male) "The Company Théâtre des Hommes has created plays like "Vivre! ("Living!") based on the poetic work of Taslima Nasreen, with three actresses, in three languages (French, Arabic, and sign language). Taslima Nasreen is a Bangladeshi and Swedish writer, physician, feminist, secular humanist and activist. She is known for her writings on the oppression of women and her criticism of religion. Some of her books are banned in Bangladesh. She is best known for the censorship, fatwa and legal intervention that followed against her. As as director / In 2007, she directed, written and performed a play around Aimé Césaire called "Palabre en Négritude" presented in Fort-de-France and then at the Unesco (in 2009). One of the founding fathers of the Négritude movement in Francophone culture, Aimé Césaire was a pioneering writer and politician who dedicated his life to fighting against the inequities of colonialism. She also directed the play "Où on va, Papa ? " (Where are we going, Dad?" based on the novel written by Jean-Louis Fournier - Femina prize in 2008) on tour in 7 countries (Prize SACD Beaumarchais and ARTE-SACD in The Festival d'Avignon in 2011 and the play "Haute surveillance" ("Deathwatch") written by Jean Genet. She is probably best known for the remarkable one-woman play "Stupeur et tremblements" ("Fear and Trembling") in which she starred, directed and adapted from the multi award-winning Belgian novelist Amélie Nothomb. She turns the novel into multi-set monologues with dance and music. She performed the show in no less than 30 countries, from China to Chile, and all continents in between - to full houses and rave reviews - all with the support and sponsorship of the French ministry of culture. As a writer / Stage: she adapted the novel "Fear and Trembling" written by Amélie Nothomb; And the play "Palabre and Négritude". Feature film: she collaborates on the English-American version of the script of "Alone with him" written by Marcus Okami. And "Le Monsieur du Dimanche" ("The Mister of Sunday") TV series: she collaborates to the mini-series "Reborn" As an actress / Layla Metssitane is also known for playing in "The Well" by Lotfi Bouchouchi, the official Algerian entry to the 2017 Oscars. Summer 2022, she shot a lead guest role in "Never let me go" (DNA films/BBC) the new series directed by the 3-time BAFTA winner Mark Munden. Layla Metssitane is a member of Unesco (Club) She is involved with associations in the field of education and culture.