With Timbuktu, director and co-writer Abderrahmane Sissako has created a film to test our understanding of what words such as "terrorist", "jihadist" and "Islamic extremists" mean as much as what they don't mean, offering a glimpse into a world I could never say I understand or even comprehend. Sissako's level of empathy for his characters is what gives the film its weight, opening your eyes as you just might find your morals tested in ways you couldn't have expected. Set during the takeover of the titular Malian city by self-described jihadists in 2012, the film is both horrifying and beautiful, managing to even merge dread with small doses of humor as a group of young people play soccer in a dusty field, but must halt their game so a donkey can pass through. The dread in this instance is far more lasting, coming from the fact they are playing without a ball.
- 2/20/2015
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
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