A quietly furious exploration of life under Islamist rule, this film explores day to day existence in the desert city of Timbuktu, Mali. The members of the militia who exert their control are shown to be bullying, sadistic hypocrites, indifferent to local customs and language. But the beauty in this story lies in the way its gaze wanders from violence to images of grace. 2014, France/Mauritania, 97 minutes, In Arabic, Bambara, English, French, Songhay and Tamasheq, with English subtitles, PG-13
Nominee, 2015 Academy Awards, Best Foreign Film
“In providing audiences a chance to bear witness to unspeakable suffering as well as dazzling defiance and human dignity, Sissako has created a film that’s a privilege to watch. . . .” – Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
“The Mauritanian-born Abderrahmane Sissako, one of the great filmmakers of sub-Saharan Africa, does not need to resort to propaganda in Timbuktu to denounce fanaticism. He has poetry. With subtlety, irony, and even humor, he gradually prepares the viewer for the horror to come.” – Peter Keough, Boston Globe
“Timbuktu is hard to grasp, as befits the sand-blown setting and the mythical status of the name. The more you try to define the movie, the faster it sifts away. . . .” – Anthony Lane, New Yorker
“Timbuktu is a political film in the way that The Bicycle Thief or Modern Times is a political film: It feels at once timely and permanent, immediate and essential.” – A. O. Scott, The New York Times
“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. Sissako is just such a master…TIMBUKTU confirms his status as one of the true humanists of recent cinema. A stunningly shot condemnation of intolerance…Performances are mesmeric.” – Jay Weissberg, Variety
