DAMIEN HAUSER
BIO
Damien Hauser is a Swiss-Kenyan filmmaker, writer, and director. Born in Zurich in 2001, he began producing short films at the age of seven. He studied film at SAE from 2016 to 2020 and worked for the commercial production company FILME VON DRAUSSEN from 2018 to 2020. Throughout his career, Damien has produced a wide range of short films, music videos, plays, and commercials, always driven by his passion for fictional storytelling. In recent years, he has completed three feature films that have screened at major international festivals including Tallinn Black Nights, IFFR Rotterdam, and BFI London. His films have also received several awards and are available on platforms such as Netflix. In 2024, he founded Hauserfilm, a production company through which he continues to bring captivating and globally resonant stories to life on the big screen. His last feature film, After the Long Rains, had its Spanish premiere in AFRIKALDIA 2024 and Memory of Princess Mumbi (Euskadi premiere AFRIKALDIA 2026) had its world premiere in the Giornate degli Autori section of the Venice Biennale in 2025 and its Spanish premiere at Seminci in Valladolid.
FILMOGRAPHY
Memory of Princess Mumbi (2025). Feature film (79’).
After the Long Rains (2023). Feature film (91’).
Theo: eine Konversation mit der Ehrlichkeit (2022). Feature film (88’).
Blind Love (2021). Feature film (73’).
Home (2020). Documentary short. (15’). (Co-directed).
COCOON (2020). Short fiction film.
Dokumentation über wahre Magie (2017). Short fiction film.
Die haarsträubenden Fälle des Philip Maloney – Der Zwillingsbruder (2017). Short fiction film. (Co-directed).
Der Bauch eines Budda (2016). Short fiction film.
Blind soul (2015). Short fiction film.
STATEMENT
When I was younger, I always carried a camera with me, capturing everyday moments with friends, family, and my surroundings. After losing my little brother, I revisited the footage I had recorded and realized that amidst the loss, there were also countless beautiful moments worth cherishing.
In Memory of Princess Mumbi, I wanted to preserve these kinds of moments, ones that might seem small but shape how we remember and understand life. The film is set in 2094 and follows a filmmaker named Kuve, who travels to Umata to make a documentary about the Great War, which took place in the 2070s. There, he meets Mumbi, who not only helps him with the film but also challenges his perspective on the world.
Memory of Princess Mumbi explores the idea that life is not solely defined by conflict. Beauty and tranquility can exist even in turbulent times. Ultimately, our perspective shapes the way we experience and remember the world.