Abdelhamid Habati

Biography

Abdelhamid Habati (Arabic: عبد الحميد حباتي), born June 3, 1945, in Constantine, is an Algerian actor. His artistic career began in Constantine, his hometown, in the early 1960s with the "Al Hilal" association. He later co-founded the "Al Bahalil" group with two other playwrights, Bashir Bin Mohammed and Rashid Zaghimi. During this period, he produced plays including "Youth's Error" and "Marriage is Forbidden." After that, he joined the National Institute of Dramatic Arts at the Kifan Tower in Algeria, graduating in 1964 in the second cohort of his class. He then joined the Algerian National Theatre as a professional actor, performing in several plays, including "Sultan Al Hayer" and "What Is Not Good But Just" (1965). Habati later returned to Constantine and, along with some of his cultural figures, helped establish several cultural spaces, such as the Regional Cultural Center and the Regional Center for Cultural Work. During this period, he presented works such as "Life and Youth," "The School for Liars," "The Black Day," and "Spark in the Palace." In the early 1970s, with the opening of four air theatres, including the Constantine theatre as part of the decentralisation decision in 1972, Habati joined the Constantine regional theatre, where he participated in a number of works as a director, actor and writer; Among them are: "That Answers This" (1972), "Who Dies, What Passes" (1977), "The Law and the People" (1978), "The People of Houma" (1980), "No Case Lasting" (1983), "Diwan Lajb" (1996), "Mr. Minister" (1997), and "The Buggy" (2003). Beyond his stage work, Abdelhamid Habati has appeared in several notable films, including: "Mr. Faber's Mill" by Ahmed Rashdi (1986), "Patrol Towards the East" by Amar Alaskari (1971), "Spatial" by Mohamed Hazoorly (1976), and "The Canadian" by Amar Bahloul (2008). Abdelhamid Habati passed away at the age of 74 on May 6, 2020, after a career during which he was awarded the title of dean of theater and cinema in Algeria.