
Director : Abderrahmane Sissako
Country : Mauritania
Release Date : 2014
Duration : 97 mins
Language : Arabic and French
Subtitles : Yes
SHORT-LISTED : BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM AT 2015 OSCARS
Not far from the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu, now ruled by religious fundamentalists, proud cattle herder Kidane lives peacefully in the dunes with his wife, his daughter and their shepherd-boy. In town, the people suffer, powerless, from the regime of terror imposed by the Jihadists determined to control their faith. Music, laughter, cigarettes, even soccer have been banned. Every day, the new improvised courts issue tragic and absurd sentences. Kidane and his family are being spared the chaos that prevails in Timbuktu. But their destiny changes abruptly in this stunningly rendered film from a master of world cinema.
“Abderrahmane Sissako may not be the most prolific of filmmakers, but he is undoubtedly one of the most interesting and ambitious writer-directors working in film today, and quite possibly one of the best.” (Geoff Andrew – Sight and Sound)