4.5/5 Timbuktu On the surface, Timbuktu is the story of a small town and family that is turned on its head when the extremist, fundamental Jihad take over and begin to control not only their faith, but their every way life. Peel back a layer, and you see a portrait of a faith desperate to separate itself from the radicals destroying their peaceful religion. Unwrap yet another layer, and you begin to realize that this film is a statement about how all religions, no matter how big, small, or corrupt, eventually dissolve into a boy’s club of oppressive rules. The point is, here is a true artistic achievement that requires multiple viewings and rewards those who follow its lead. Let’s take a better look at that surface story. Pino (Ibrahim Ahmed, devastatingly subtle) is a husband, a father, a cattle farmer, and a lover of music. He lives a simple life and takes pleasure in life’s simple joys. One day, his peaceful existence takes a turn for the worst when a neighboring fisherman shoots his prized cow, which leads to a lethal confrontation with dire consequences for Pino. Matters are not helped by the Jihad, who have recently taken over the nearby town. | Director: Abderrahmane Sissako Starring: Ibrahim Ahmed, Toulou Kiki, Abel Jafri Writer: Abderrahmane Sissako, Kessen Tall |
Director Abderrahmane Sissako pays nearly just as much attention to the townspeople as he does to Pino, singling out a few noteworthy women who begin to be persecuted by the Jihadists. Not only are women made to wear gloves outside, but the extremists make their claim on the town by banning things like music and bullying the local elders at the mosque. They scream through megaphones, brandish machine guns, and physically and emotionally assault the townspeople, including Pino’s wife Satima (Toulou Kiki, fantastically moving).
If Timbuktu boasted nothing but this moving narrative, it would still be a classic of this sub-genre. Between the deeply human performances and the stunning cinematography, there is certainly something for everyone to enjoy. The fact that Sissako digs deeper into the surface story’s emotions and implications is truly a fact worth celebrating.
One of the most misguided, poisonous opinions held in America today is the hate for Muslims and the Nation of Islam. My dad has lived in the Middle East for several years; never has he once felt threatened by the locals. Even working in Saudi Arabia, one of the strictest Muslim countries in the world, he reports back home with friendly stories on a regular basis. It’s militant groups like the Jihad and, more recently, Isis that give the Nation a bad name, and it’s these groups that Sissako has his crosshairs on. It does not take long to see through the fundamental religious facade and into that power-hungry hearts of the men that wield it as their weapon. Does it matter if they truly think what they are doing is holy? When hate is the driving emotion, can anyone actually believe that they do?
You could easily expand this conversation to include all religions, especially Christianity. We are long past the days when Christianity was seen in a positive light by the majority of the world - this fact is especially hard for the Bible Belt states to swallow; but, alas, it’s true. As long as traditional fundamentalist men make rules after christening themselves “spiritual leaders,” religion - all religions - will continue to be seen in the negative. Before I end, here’s last suggestion: watch Timbuktu and be amazed.
(Available on iTunes)
If Timbuktu boasted nothing but this moving narrative, it would still be a classic of this sub-genre. Between the deeply human performances and the stunning cinematography, there is certainly something for everyone to enjoy. The fact that Sissako digs deeper into the surface story’s emotions and implications is truly a fact worth celebrating.
One of the most misguided, poisonous opinions held in America today is the hate for Muslims and the Nation of Islam. My dad has lived in the Middle East for several years; never has he once felt threatened by the locals. Even working in Saudi Arabia, one of the strictest Muslim countries in the world, he reports back home with friendly stories on a regular basis. It’s militant groups like the Jihad and, more recently, Isis that give the Nation a bad name, and it’s these groups that Sissako has his crosshairs on. It does not take long to see through the fundamental religious facade and into that power-hungry hearts of the men that wield it as their weapon. Does it matter if they truly think what they are doing is holy? When hate is the driving emotion, can anyone actually believe that they do?
You could easily expand this conversation to include all religions, especially Christianity. We are long past the days when Christianity was seen in a positive light by the majority of the world - this fact is especially hard for the Bible Belt states to swallow; but, alas, it’s true. As long as traditional fundamentalist men make rules after christening themselves “spiritual leaders,” religion - all religions - will continue to be seen in the negative. Before I end, here’s last suggestion: watch Timbuktu and be amazed.
(Available on iTunes)