In the late 1960s, Hondo started taking small roles in television and films. He began to learn the craft of film making by careful observation of the work of others, and began to get work behind the camera. He began work on his first film, "Soleil O", in 1965. Made on a $30,000 budget, it was financed by Hondo's work dubbing American films into French. "Soleil O" played during International Critics' Week at the 1970 Cannes Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim. It received a Golden Leopard award at the 1970 Locarno International Film Festival. In 1981 he was a member of the jury at the 12th Moscow International Film Festival.