Sanaa Hamri

Hamri in 2008, photo by Prphotos

Place of Birth: Tangier, Morocco

Date of Birth: November 19, 1977

Ethnicity:
*Moroccan (father)
*Ashkenazi Jewish (mother)

Sanaa Hamri is a Moroccan-American film, television, and music video director. She has directed the films Something New, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, and Just Wright.

She was born and raised in Tangier. She is the daughter of Blanche “Blanca,” a teacher and secretary at the American School of Tangier, and Mohammed Hamri, also known as Hamri, a painter and author. Her father was a Moroccan Muslim, from the town of Jajouka, in northern Morocco. Her great-uncle was the leader of the Master Musicians of Joujouka. Her mother is a Jewish American. Her parents were part of the arts community in Tangier.

Sanaa moved to the U.S. to study theatre in her late teens.

Sanaa has a daughter with attorney Loyst P. Fletcher. She speaks English, French, Spanish, and a Moroccan dialect.

Sanaa’s paternal grandfather was a ceramics artist, who painted his pieces following an ancient tradition.

Sanaa’s paternal grandmother was from the Attar family of Zahjouka musicians.

Sanaa’s maternal grandfather’s surname was Nyland.

Source: http://www.slc.edu