Abderrahmane Sissako once said “Through art you can invent the impossible.”
[New York Times Article] In his most recent film
Bamako (2006), he explores this idea of art or film transmitting a message in terms of globalization. Globalization by means of returning to his native town in Mali conveying a story applicable to modern day Malian culture. He targets globalized organizations such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund; both international economic organizations demonstrating immense power. A plot is connected between these organizations through a trial (set in Bamako) blaming the worlds major banks for the poverty level in Mali. Throughout the film Sissako uses powerful symbolic images demonstrating not only the poverty level in Mali, but he also uses language as an important message of communication between the natives of Mali and the officiants in the trial.
Bamako educates the viewer with several documentary or staged footage depicting everyday life in the Mali region. Between trial scenes, Sissako adds a touch of every day life images, such as footage of a child bathing.
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| Child being bathed. Bamako 2006. |
There are also a series of images establishing the poverty Mali is currently facing. In between the trial scenes there are also strong images either documentary or staged photos of West Africans including Malians trying to cross the Sahara to meet a ship sneaking them from Morocco to Spain. This young woman dies along the way.
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| Bamako 2006. |
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| Bamako 2006. |
These series of images aid the plot of
Bamako as well as transmit a message to the view about the routines and poverty. These series of images lead to the message of globalization Sissako conveys to the viewer.
Another use of communication to the viewer and the natives of
Bamako is the languages used throughout the film. As a French minor, the prononciation of French varies between the native France actors and actresses vs the Malian french speakers. This difference in pronunciation is evidence explaining the directors choice of actors for specific roles from specific regions.
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| Man singing. Bamako 2006. |
