Algerian director and actor coach, Hadj Ali Menaj has faced some really big challenges in his career so far. The only reason he was able to overcome them was because of his talent, his will to work on upgrading himself and the most important one – patience. Hadj is a terrific combination of every personality trait a true artist carries.
It’s interesting how the challenges which try to break you also create a way for you if you are strong and patient enough. Hadj had a major heartbreak once in his professional career but thanks to his patience and talent, it also paved a way for him towards his next level.
It all started when he worked on his first telefilm, ‘The Unknown Hero’. It was a challenging project because the main character was a dog. While most of the filmmakers are scared of working with and managing an animal, it was not a problem for Hadj Ali Menad. “I developed the scenario to make it more personal. I wanted to give this film a realistic side. When I was in Algeria, I learnt that there was another director on it but he was afraid to run an animal. I love dogs and know how to draw them up. As a result, instead of coaching an actor, I have a coach a dog” he laughs.
His hardwork paid off and the telefilm got him so much appreciation. It also won an award of Arab Cinema in 2017 but no one informed Hadj Ali Menad about it. As the messages of congratulations kept on dropping, his confusion increased. Later he was shattered when he came to know about the whole story. “I was in front of the television and I could see people take my trophy and money in my place. I did not receive anything. I cried like a child.” he recalls.
But his success with the film helped him meet the popular Algerian director and producer, Djaffar Gacem and set the stage for a great future partnership. Both of them worked for Heliopolis and Hadj got the role of acting coach. Later they worked together for Algerian series Sultan Achour as well. “This series was an opportunity for me to exploit many possibilities. I spent a week with him to understand what he returned and took care of the second team on the third season,” he says.
Now isn’t that a big and beautiful life lesson?
