Anouar H. Smaine (born 1976) is an American film director, producer,
actor, and screenwriter of Algerian descent. He is the son of a
French professor, and an actor and playwright.Anouar H. Smaine was
born in Algiers, Algeria in a family of artists, revolutionaries ,
and politicians. His mother was a French professor and his father an
actor, director and playwright. Due to the nature of his father's work
in film and theatre, Smaine grew up travelling between the cities of
Algiers, Constantine, and Paris before moving to the United States in
his teen years. For him, the early 1990s were times of uncertainty,
reflection, and even confusion as his native country of Algeria sank
into a violent civil war which claimed the lives of hundreds of
thousands of people amongst which were many of his father's artist
friends, journalists, and intellectuals making him fear for the life
of his own father for over a decade. Having lost some family members
as well as childhood friends in the Algerian civil war, Anouar often
wondered about how to bring people with conflicting views of the world
to talk to one another, understand each other's points of views,
respect differences that exist in the world, and finally live in
peace. The answer would come to him many years later when he would use
his filmmaking and storytelling to tell stories of human conflict and
misunderstandings, dialogue and universal brotherhood.Smaine received
his B.A. in Computer Information Systems and Business Administration
from Eastern Michigan University and two master's degrees in Arts and
Public Administration/Political Science from Eastern Michigan
University. He also attended film school at the New York Film Academy
in Los Angeles, California and received his training in directing,
producing and screenwriting.Smaine's immersion in the arts and film in
particular, started at a very early age. As both his parents were busy
with their respective careers, his father would often take him to
different film sets and play rehearsals he was involved in. At the age
of 9 he took his first acting steps in "Cri de pierre" (Translated as
"Cry of Stone"); a social drama. In Paris, Anouar H. Smaine learned
more about the impact of the arts on the human condition, human
history and world cultures. Under the influence of his father and some
artists who were family friends, he became more acquainted and drawn
into the world of theater and drama (among those are French playwright
Henri Cordreaux, comedian Hassan Belhadj, and international painter
Jean Pierre Bellan ). After moving to the US and completing all of his
formal education, he began a long and arduous journey of collaborating
with a diverse array of filmmakers in Los Angeles. His writing,
directing, producing, and acting included different films amongst
which are "Axis of Evil", "Honor Among Thieves", "Reign", "Sharia",
"12 Strong", and the latest "Battle Fields" [27][28][29][30][31] in
which he brings to the big screen the story of a US veteran of the
Iraq war (played by Sean Stone - son of film director Oliver Stone)
and an Iraqi driver living in Los Angeles as a refugee (played by
Anouar H. Smaine himself). The film aims to raise awareness about post
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans and civilians alike and
also attempts to highlight the humanity that exists in people
regardless of race, faith, or nationality.
actor, and screenwriter of Algerian descent. He is the son of a
French professor, and an actor and playwright.Anouar H. Smaine was
born in Algiers, Algeria in a family of artists, revolutionaries ,
and politicians. His mother was a French professor and his father an
actor, director and playwright. Due to the nature of his father's work
in film and theatre, Smaine grew up travelling between the cities of
Algiers, Constantine, and Paris before moving to the United States in
his teen years. For him, the early 1990s were times of uncertainty,
reflection, and even confusion as his native country of Algeria sank
into a violent civil war which claimed the lives of hundreds of
thousands of people amongst which were many of his father's artist
friends, journalists, and intellectuals making him fear for the life
of his own father for over a decade. Having lost some family members
as well as childhood friends in the Algerian civil war, Anouar often
wondered about how to bring people with conflicting views of the world
to talk to one another, understand each other's points of views,
respect differences that exist in the world, and finally live in
peace. The answer would come to him many years later when he would use
his filmmaking and storytelling to tell stories of human conflict and
misunderstandings, dialogue and universal brotherhood.Smaine received
his B.A. in Computer Information Systems and Business Administration
from Eastern Michigan University and two master's degrees in Arts and
Public Administration/Political Science from Eastern Michigan
University. He also attended film school at the New York Film Academy
in Los Angeles, California and received his training in directing,
producing and screenwriting.Smaine's immersion in the arts and film in
particular, started at a very early age. As both his parents were busy
with their respective careers, his father would often take him to
different film sets and play rehearsals he was involved in. At the age
of 9 he took his first acting steps in "Cri de pierre" (Translated as
"Cry of Stone"); a social drama. In Paris, Anouar H. Smaine learned
more about the impact of the arts on the human condition, human
history and world cultures. Under the influence of his father and some
artists who were family friends, he became more acquainted and drawn
into the world of theater and drama (among those are French playwright
Henri Cordreaux, comedian Hassan Belhadj, and international painter
Jean Pierre Bellan ). After moving to the US and completing all of his
formal education, he began a long and arduous journey of collaborating
with a diverse array of filmmakers in Los Angeles. His writing,
directing, producing, and acting included different films amongst
which are "Axis of Evil", "Honor Among Thieves", "Reign", "Sharia",
"12 Strong", and the latest "Battle Fields" [27][28][29][30][31] in
which he brings to the big screen the story of a US veteran of the
Iraq war (played by Sean Stone - son of film director Oliver Stone)
and an Iraqi driver living in Los Angeles as a refugee (played by
Anouar H. Smaine himself). The film aims to raise awareness about post
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans and civilians alike and
also attempts to highlight the humanity that exists in people
regardless of race, faith, or nationality.
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