Timbuktu: What Call to Action?

Abderrahmane Sissako's film 'Timbuktu' (2014) reveals the hypocrisy and intolerance of Islamist jihadists who occupied Timbuktu, Mali, in 2012–13. The film highlights their attempts to enforce rigid Salafi codes while simultaneously exposing their confusion and lack of understanding of the region's rich Muslim culture. Notably, the climax of the film depicts a conflict between a fisherman and a herder, illustrating that violence was not solely perpetrated by jihadists. This analysis, co-authored by a scholar of West African cinema and a historian of northern Mali, interprets Sissako's urgent call to action while critically examining the film's representation of Timbuktu's complex history.

Amadou Fofana, & Bruce S. Hall. (2017). Timbuktu: What Call to Action? Black Camera, 9(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.2979/blackcamera.9.1.01