Film Forum

Abderrahmane Sissako may not be a household name in the US -- but he is one of a handful of acclaimed filmmakers from Sub-Saharan Africa whose movies are attracting international attention. Film Forum previously premiered his BAMAKO, and now presents TIMBUKTU, a narrative born from the violent realities of Islamic extremism. Set in Mali, the film introduces us to a young family of Tuareg shepherds, emphasizing the loving nature of their relationships and the deeply sensual colors, textures, sights, and sounds that define their quotidian existence.  Enter a band of radical jihadists whose sharia law forbids listening to Western music, playing soccer, or socializing between men and women. Defying their rules brings horrendous, even fatal consequences. Unforgettably, the film melds two sensibilities: the almost otherworldly beauty of an Arabian Nights fairytale with the worst excesses of 21st century religious fundamentalism.

MAURITANIA / FRANCE • 2014 • 97 MINS. • IN ARABIC, BAMBARA, ENGLISH, FRENCH, SONGHAY, AND TAMASHEQ WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES • COHEN MEDIA GROUP 

Reviews

ACADEMY AWARD^® NOMINEE!
– Best Foreign Language Film

“A rich evocation of daily life. 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
Click here to read the full review.

Click here to read John Anderson’s feature on TIMBUKTU in The New York Times.

 “Gorgeous. Visually stunning.” 
– Violet Lucca, Village Voice

“Breathtakingly beautiful.”
– Stephen Holden, The New York Times

“Morally outraged, up-to-the-minute documentation moves into fiction: Abderrahmane Sissako’s TIMBUKTU presents an ever-darkening vision – at once folkloric, satiric, imaginative and brutal – of the reign of foreign jihadists over the people of the title city.”
– Stuart Klawans, The Nation

“…TIMBUKTU shook festivalgoers wide-awake… a mesmerizing mix of mood and tone”
– Manohla Dargis, The New York Times, writing from Cannes

Amy Taubin’s Top Ten List for 2014 in Artforum

“Top Ten List for 2014.  Achieves its power through temperance.”
– James Quandt, Artforum

“TIMBUKTU… has much to recommend it: a compelling story line, stunning Saharan landscapes and an immediacy that has unfortunately been enhanced by the real jihadist surge in the Islamic world.:”
– Larry Rohter, The New York Times

“Sissako shows a light touch whether he’s mapping the contours of tragedy or comedy – and, astonishingly, considering the gravity of the subject matter, TIMBUKTU embraces both.”
– Stephanie Zacharek, Village Voice

“In the hands of 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