Zara Mahamat Yacoub

Zara Mahamat Yacoub is a Chadian filmmaker, director and journalist.

Biography

Early life and education Growing up, Yacoub stated she wanted to be a lawyer.

Career Back in Chad, Yacoub worked as a presenter and journalist for the radio. After the founding of the first Chadian television station, Télé Tchad, she switched to this and first worked as program head. She was the only woman in the entire station. Later Yacoub rose to head manager of the National Television of Chad. She also worked as a journalist for the South African station Channel Africa. Moreover, she was head of the private radio station Dja FM. She was the first woman to have launched an independent radio station in Chad. Both in her films and off the screen, Yacoub is committed to greater human rights, especially to the equality of women in Chad, which has made her a target for repression. Her short film "Dilemme au féminin" which criticized female genital mutilation was especially controversial. The film led to strong protests in the country and a fatwa was pronounced against her due to nudity and other objectionable material.

Arrest In 2015, she was arrested after a brawl broke out between her family and some traders who wanted to buy her house. Yacoub was released after neighborhood involvement.

Filmography 1994: Dilemme au féminin 1995: Les Enfants de la rue 1996: La Jeunesse et l'emploi 1996: Les Enfants de la guerre 1999: Enfance confisquée 2002: Marad Al Ma Inda Daw