The renowned journalist and television host, Ali Hassan, passed away this Monday morning at the age of 80. A towering presence in Moroccan television, Hassan was celebrated across generations for his iconic weekly show, «Cinéma du jeudi», which he hosted on RTM from 1991 to 2003. Born in Midelt in 1945, and originally named Mohamed El Ouali, he embarked on his broadcasting journey with the former TVM in 1964, mastering both radio and television. His career began with presenting news on TV and radio from 1969 to 1987. He also created and hosted the radio program «Entracte» from 1970 to 1980, then from 1981 to 1987, and again from 1989 to 2015. Appearing on television once a week, Hassan was instrumental in making cinema accessible to the masses through «Cinéma du jeudi» and later «Ciné-club», which aired from 2003 to 2014 on Al Aoula. His journalistic contributions extended to the launch of Médi1 radio in 1980-81. Additionally, he lent his voice to French dubbing for various series and films and provided commentary for cinematic documentaries. Ali Hassan also served as a research officer at Omnium Nord Africain (ONA) between 1987 and 1989 and played a pivotal role in the creation of the 2M channel. On the big screen, he appeared in feature films such as «Le Grand voyage» by Mohamed Abderrahman Tazi, «Afghanistan pourquoi ?» by Abdellah Masbahi, «Haj Mokhtar Soldi» by Mostafa Derkaoui, and «Les Hommes libres» by Ismaïl Ferroukhi. He also starred in two short films by Franco-Algerian director Mahmoud Zemmouri. Behind the scenes, Hassan was a respected television and audiovisual professional, earning the trust of government officials and film industry leaders alike. He served as an advisor to the Minister of Communication from 1998 to 2000 and presided over the press jury at the Francophone Film Festival of Safi in 2004. He was also a member of the national film production aid fund commission from 2012 to 2014 and a jury member for the feature film competition at the Maghreb Film Festival in Algiers in 2013.
