Pascal Abikanlou

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Pascal Abikanlou (1936–2009) was a Beninese filmmaker, director and producer. He is considered the father of Beninese cinema. He was born in Pobe, near the border with Nigeria, into a Nago-Yoruba royal family. His father was jailed by French colonial authorities for defending Pobe’s potential attachment to Nigeria. Abikanlou studied at Maurice Delafosse High School in Dakar and trained as an industrial designer. He learned photography by correspondence, then worked as a reporter and assistant cameraman before becoming a director. He directed his first feature film, Sous le signe du vaudou, in 1974.