Timbuktu is a 2014 French-Mauritanian drama film directed by Abderrahmane Sissako. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.[3][4][5] At Cannes, it won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and the François Chalais Prize.[6][7] It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards.[8][9]
| Timbuktu | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Abderrahmane Sissako |
| Written by |
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| Produced by | Sylvie Pialat |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Sofian El Fani |
| Edited by | Nadia Ben Rachid |
| Music by | Amine Bouhafa |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Cohen Media Group |
Release dates |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Languages | |
| Box office | $186,611[2] |
The film looks at the brief occupation of Timbuktu, Mali by Ansar Dine. Parts of the film were influenced by a 2012 public stoning of an unmarried couple in Aguelhok.[10] It was shot in Oualata, a town in south-east Mauritania.[11]
Plot summary
A fisherman kills a cow because it blunders through his nets in the river, and the cow's owner goes to confront him, against the advice of his wife, taking his gun. The fisherman and farmer fight in the river and the gun goes off, killing the fisherman. The fisherman's mother will not forgive the farmer, and the Sharia court sets the blood money at 40 cows. He only has 7, so cannot pay. As he is about to be executed, his wife turns up; they run towards each other and are shot dead by the Islamic occupiers.
Throughout the film there are subsidiary scenes showing the reaction of the population to extreme Islamic rules, which they view as absurd: for instance that a female fishmonger must wear gloves even when selling fish. A female singer is sentenced to 40 lashes for singing, and 40 lashes for being in the same room as her accompanist. A couple is buried up to their necks in sand and stoned to death. Young men play virtual football - without the football, which is banned. Calm, slow-paced arguments over morals take place as to whether jihad is a personal moral battle or an external physical one, and whether the occupiers have the right to forcibly marry local women.
The failure of the occupiers to live up to their own rules is hinted at, for instance when one of them is seen smoking a cigarette.
Characters speak in Tuareg, Bambara, Arabic, French, and on one occasion English. The mobile phone is an important means of communication.
Cast
- Abel Jafri
- Hichem Yacoubi
- Toulou Kiki (of the band Kel Assouf)
- Pino Desperado
- Kettly Noël
- Fatoumata Diawara
Reception
The film has received a score of 90 on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim".[12]
On Rotten Tomatoes, it has 98% rating based on 42 reviews. The site consensus is "Gracefully assembled and ultimately disquieting, Timbuktu is a timely film with a powerful message."
Jay Weissberg of Variety writes "In the hands of a master, indignation and tragedy can be rendered with clarity yet subtlety, setting hysteria aside for deeper, more richly shaded tones. Abderrahmane Sissako is just such a master."[13]
See also
References
- ^ "Timbuktu". TIFF. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
- ^ "Timbuktu (2015)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
- ^ "2014 Official Selection". Cannes. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- ^ "Films By Abderrahmane Sissako & Philippe Lacôte Are Cannes 2014 Official Selections". IndieWire. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- ^ Vincent Dowd (20 May 2014). "Timbuktu film at Cannes mixes tragedy, charm and humour". BBC News. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "'Winter Sleep', 'Jauja', 'Love at First Fight' Take Cannes Fipresci Prizes". Variety. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
- ^ ""Timbuktu", prix du Jury oecuménique et prix François-Chalais". Le Parisien. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
- ^ "Abderrahmane Sissako's 'Timbuktu' Is Mauritania's Best Foreign Language 2015 Oscar Competition Entry". Indiewire. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
- ^ "Oscar Nominations 2015: See The Full List". Huffington Post. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
- ^ "Timbuktu". New Zealand International FIlm Festival. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
- ^ "Mauritanians delighted with Timbuktu Oscar nomination". aawsat. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
- ^ "Timbuktu". Metacritic.
- ^ "Advertisement". Variety. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
External links
- Timbuktu at IMDb
- Timbuktu at Box Office Mojo
- Timbuktu at Rotten Tomatoes
- Timbuktu at Metacritic