Timbuktu

Composite Score: 84.43

Starring: Ibrahim Ahmed, Abel Jafri, Toulou Kiki, Layla Walet Mohamed, Mehdi A.G. Mohamed, Kettly Noël, Adel Mahmoud Cherif, and Salem Dendou

Director: Abderrahmane Sissako

Writers: Abderrahmane Sissako and Kessen Tall

Genres: Drama, War

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some violence and thematic elements

Box Office: $7.18 million worldwide

Why should you Watch This Film?

                Timbuktu is Abderrahmane Sissako’s film about the occupation of Timbuktu, Mali, by jihadists and the upheaval of life that the residents of the city experience as a result. The film was nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, representing Sissako’s native nation of Mauritania, and also received acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival. Its explorations of the humanity of both the jihadists and residents of Timbuktu provides a refreshing alternative to many films set in the Middle East, North Africa, and West Africa that deal with the impact of radical Islam. Sissako takes time to show the everyday lives of the residents and their invaders, showing the hypocrisies present in the lives of all and the intimate connections that every human shares. The film takes care to still condemn the actions of the jihadists but not through shock tactics, just by showcasing the inconsistencies inherent in their ideology when compared to the more mainstream Muslims that they live alongside and lord over. The film’s main plot ties the whole thing together nicely, offering a devastating look at the impact of the tensions caused by the jihadist occupation.

Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?

                Timbuktu, in its desire to focus on the mundane and everyday interactions of its characters, strays in certain moments (even its climax) into the land of “why?”. While on the one hand, I am struck by the parallels that can be drawn between the jihadists and other right-wing religious fundamentalist groups/movements; on the other hand, I can’t help but wonder why I needed the film’s main plot, following the cattle herder Kidane and his family, when the rest of the film is by far more compelling. Kidane’s story and that of his daughter and wife offers many potential interesting threads – a jihadist who might commit adultery, a jihadist who is friendly to the locals, the potential for the community to come together in a show of solidarity in the face of inconsistent justice, a lesson in the use of violence that shakes the jihadists and/or the people of Timbuktu – but all we really get is a nice guy who is forced into violence against a neighbor because of implicit frustrations with the occupation and the summary justice carried out against him with no real depth of story. As rich as the rest of the film is, its main plot line feels strangely unexplored or shallow when you look at it with a critical eye.

So wait, why should you Watch This Film?

                Timbuktu is at its best when it is exploring the daily lives of its citizens and the rules and inconsistencies of its antagonistic jihadists. Where many films about terrorism, insurgencies, and religio-fascistic regimes would utilize loud and violent outbursts to show societal disruption and offer critiques of the ideology, Sissako chooses instead to show the little things that push people over the edge and the ideological inconsistencies that mark his antagonists as hypocrites rather than saviors of their faith. Every moment in the city itself feels like an indictment of the jihadists and their practices with only a few scenes of actual violence depicted. One of the best scenes in the whole film comes after a ban on football has been announced, and the people of Timbuktu are seen on their local football field playing a full game, just with no ball; it’s beautifully choreographed, and the incredulity and lack of action on the part of the jihadists makes it that much more powerful. This simple scene is a blatant act of rebellion, celebrating the humanity of Timbuktu’s citizens while calling out the problem of the jihadist’s strict legalism and interpretation of “Sharia”. The whole film works toward this end without ever villainizing any of the perpetrators, recognizing (rightly) that most of them have been caught up in a movement that they themselves don’t fully understand or adhere to – Sissako makes an effort to showcase the lack of knowledge and conviction of just about every featured jihadist at some point.

                Through highlighting the humanity of all of its players, Timbuktu offers a different perspective on critiquing religious fundamentalism, humanizing both the victims and perpetrators in an admirable effort to show the ideology’s flaws, crafting a great film in the process. While I personally wish that the film’s main plot had more to offer, its themes and side stories are undeniably compelling and engaging. It is currently available to stream with a Mubi subscription or to rent on most streaming platforms if you’re interested in checking it out.