Danielle Smith is an anthropologist, educator and documentary filmmaker. She has spent long periods in the Saharawi refugee camps in southwest Algeria, living as a member of a large extended family and teaching English at the Women’s Vocational Centre. She has learned Hassaniya, the Arabic dialect spoken by the Saharawis and gained an intimate understanding of the culture and society. Her experiences have led to her participation in a wide range of conferences and workshops dealing with women, refugees and human rights.
Since 1992, Danielle has been working in the medium of video and filmmaking and produced and directed the 30 minute educational documentary Song of Umm Dalaila, which has been shown in a number of film festivals in the US and Europe. In 1994, she moved to London where she is currently working on a number of cultural and educational projects, primarily related to the Western Sahara.
Danielle was born in Belgium and has lived and travelled widely in Europe and the Middle East. She speaks Arabic, French, Hassaniya, Hebrew and Spanish.
