Bamako [DVD] [2007]

This film was recommended to me by a friend from Zimbabwe who has a deep concern for the plight of Africa ; he regarded it very highly. It is set in Mali and centres on the relationship between a young couple and a 'trial' of the World Bank and IMF which takes place literally on their doorstep. Chaka and Mele (Aissa Maga, who is mesmeric and whose singing - she is a night-club singer - is haunting) are about to part, she leaving for Dakar, he remaining behind in the village with their daughter, who is unwell. Meanwhile, the trial, formally and seriously conducted with begowned lawyers for the plaintiff and the defence, goes on. Village life continues around it, so that there is a picture of these people's lives running through the film. There are many compelling scenes, particularly towards the end, with the plaint of an old man who appears at the very beginning intent on addressing the court but does so only near the end, the closing speeches of the two lawyers for the African, one white, one black, and scenes at the very end which it would be wrong to divulge - the ending of the film is surprising and tragic. I was puzzled by some things (the filmmakers do not spell everything out ; you have to work a bit) - for example the sudden appearance of a scene from what appears to be a strange spaghetti Western, used, I think, as an allegory for what the rich of the world are doing to Africa - but this is undeniably an affecting film, and an unusual one. Visually it is often startling and the actors are beyond praise (I understand the 'lawyers' had to improvise their speeches, in which case that of the white French lawyer for the plaintiffs particularly is a real tour de force). As for the central argument of the film, you certainly end up sympathetic to the Malians, and to Africa as a whole. Anyway, this is a serious, thoughtful and unusual film, and as such I commend it.

This is possibly the best movie I have ever watched. I first watched this film with a friend and loved it so much I decided to buy the DVD. Bamako is not for anyone who wants an entertaining African movie for pure enjoyment and fun because this is not that kind of movie. Bamako is to me similar to a documentary as it tells African stories through the witnesses that take stand against the international organisations. It raises and addresses issues of development in Africa, corruption, colonisation and debt. Bamako is an educational movie and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about African development and the true role international organisations play in addressing poverty in Africa.

I have to agree with one of the previous reviewers. This is one of the best films I have ever seen. In a Malian courtyard, as a nightclub singer wanders through to work, as a baby squeaks by in noisy shoes, as a child lies ill indoors, as women do their washing, people are gathered to put the World Bank and IMF on trial. Sweeping privatisation and structural adjustment programmes are in the dock, accused of impoverishing Africa. The lawyers trying the case were not given scripts, but had to write their own. Witnesses come forward to describe their experiences, of trying to flee through the Sahara, of suffering of different kinds. Meanwhile, other stories are intercut with the main action, the trial in the courtyard. One of the most poignant moments comes when an old man stands up and sings his pain to the judges and the assembled spectators. No one understands his words, but everyone shares his pain. The camera captures the expressions of the people observing the trial, or just listening, or chatting nearby. It's a compassionate and at times angry exploration of the state of humanity. Africa doesn't get much coverage outside Africa, but if you want to gain an insight into the continent's problems and the impact they have on real human beings, watch this film.