Kenji's Mali

Created by Fergenaprido.

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Kenji's list on Mubi

"“Every nation has the right to be represented by the cinema” (Souleymane Cissé).

To which i would add, and for its cinema and other cultural treasures to be properly appreciated.

Mali has a magnificent cultural heritage, and along with superb films by directors like Souleymane Cissé, there has been tremendous music, from Tinariwen and Ali Farka Touré among others. Timbuktu is a legendary city of learning- so what a proud day it was for little Hay-on-Wye in Wales to become its twin in 2007. I have visited it- if only on google earth satellite!

Anyway, here are films from Mali on this site. I look forward to seeing more, but the masterpieces Yeelen and Finyé are probably my favourite African films, while Bamako (its director was raised in Mali) is a telling indictment of, and puts on trial, the exploitative World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Fans of the Greek director Angelopoulos may be interested that cinematographer on Mother of the Dunes is Giorgos Arvanitis, while among the cinematographers in Waati is Georgi Rerberg, best known for his work on Tarkovsky’s Mirror. I’ve included Life on Earth; although officially not an indigenous film (rather funded by Burkina Faso, France and Mauritania), cos it is set in Mali. It is hard finding info on the national cinema, and even on Cissé; i’ve had to alter the short unsatisfactory Wikipedia article (adopted by Mubi) below."

Missing from imdb/icm:
#17 "Djandjon" by Sophie Hoffelt