Moussa (Sami Bouajila) is an easygoing fella. He’s a go-along-to-get-along, the rug that everyone walks on that really ties the room together. When his large and rambunctious family gathers to bicker and break bread, the twice-divorced father of three will smile when his siblings and adult children hit new decibels arguing in the gladiatorial arena that is the dinner table. If steps into verbal battle, it’s to apologize to or for someone else, and always to lower the stakes.
He’s just that kind of guy – until he’s not. This boisterous Franco-Moroccan clan is thrown for a loop when family rock Moussa suffers a traumatic brain injury, turning him into a wholly different man. Where once he was accommodating, this altered father and brother now suffers no fools. The infirm Moussa now speaks without a filter, calling out the brood that built their own adult lives on his indulgence.
He’s just that kind of guy – until he’s not. This boisterous Franco-Moroccan clan is thrown for a loop when family rock Moussa suffers a traumatic brain injury, turning him into a wholly different man. Where once he was accommodating, this altered father and brother now suffers no fools. The infirm Moussa now speaks without a filter, calling out the brood that built their own adult lives on his indulgence.
- 9/10/2022
- by Ben Croll
- Indiewire
Of all the immediate familial relationships agonized over in the movies, it’s probably the bonds of siblinghood that remain the least explored. In his sixth film as director, French multihyphenate Roschdy Zem redresses that imbalance just a little, with the charming, unassuming but hardly inconsequential “Our Ties”: a heartfelt and beautifully played burst of bright chatter that doesn’t reinvent the wheel of the domestic drama, but does watch it turn with an unusually compassionate, affectionate eye.
As it opens, Moussa is in the middle of a crisis, not that you’d necessarily know it from the gently perplexed way he is handling his wife Nora’s sudden decision to end their relationship. Nora is in Morocco, where she spends a lot of her time for work, and Moussa, getting nothing but her voicemail, has finally come to the realization that she is serious about their split. Less angry than he is dazed,...
As it opens, Moussa is in the middle of a crisis, not that you’d necessarily know it from the gently perplexed way he is handling his wife Nora’s sudden decision to end their relationship. Nora is in Morocco, where she spends a lot of her time for work, and Moussa, getting nothing but her voicemail, has finally come to the realization that she is serious about their split. Less angry than he is dazed,...
- 9/9/2022
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Directed by Ken Scott, The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir stars superstar Dhanush in the lead role and it is the story of an underdog travelling in the lands of Europe in search of his estranged father. Even though the word ?Extraordinary? which lies in the title itself is enough reason for us to go watch this film in the theatres, we will still give you more reasons why you shouldn?t miss this film, which hits the theatres tomorrow.
Dhanush?s Brilliant performance:
After proving his ace acting skills in the both South film industry as well as Bollywood; Dhanush has made his Hollywood debut with this film and we just can?t keep calm! Even the famous daily of the west, The Hollywood Reporter said this about Dhanush?s acting skills, ?The film's true appeal lies in Dhanush's winsome turn as a down-and-out foreigner experiencing the absurdity of Europe,...
Dhanush?s Brilliant performance:
After proving his ace acting skills in the both South film industry as well as Bollywood; Dhanush has made his Hollywood debut with this film and we just can?t keep calm! Even the famous daily of the west, The Hollywood Reporter said this about Dhanush?s acting skills, ?The film's true appeal lies in Dhanush's winsome turn as a down-and-out foreigner experiencing the absurdity of Europe,...
- 6/20/2019
- GlamSham
"Why are you half-naked in my trunk?" Cradle Walk Pictures has released the first official Us trailer for the adventure comedy The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir, following a young Indian man as he gets lost in travels around Europe. The film is directed by Canadian filmmaker Ken Scott, based on the novel by Romain Puértolas - with the full title "The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe". Ajatashatru Lavash Patel has lived all his life in a small Mumbai neighborhood tricking people with street magic and fakir stunts. He sets out on a journey to find his estranged father, but instead gets dragged on a never-ending adventure - from Paris to Italy to Spain and all over. Indian superstar Dhanush stars, along with an international cast including Erin Moriarty, Bérénice Bejo, Barkhad Abdi, Gérard Jugnot, Ben Miller, and Abel Jafri. This looks charming and amsuing,...
- 6/6/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Ken Scott directs France-India-Belgium co-production.
A-Z Films has acquired Canadian rights to comedy adventure The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir starring Indian star Dhanush and featuring Bérénice Béjo.
Quebecois Ken Scott directed the English-language France-India-Belgium co-production about a Mumbai hustler who embarks on a voyage across Europe in search of his estranged father.
En route, the traveller love in a Swedish furniture store in Paris, gets into trouble with Somali immigrants and winds up in London, finds fortune in Rome, and escapes an unlikely adversary in a hot air balloon.
Barkhad Abdi, Erin Moriarty, Abel Jafri, Gérard Jugnot, Ben Miller,...
A-Z Films has acquired Canadian rights to comedy adventure The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir starring Indian star Dhanush and featuring Bérénice Béjo.
Quebecois Ken Scott directed the English-language France-India-Belgium co-production about a Mumbai hustler who embarks on a voyage across Europe in search of his estranged father.
En route, the traveller love in a Swedish furniture store in Paris, gets into trouble with Somali immigrants and winds up in London, finds fortune in Rome, and escapes an unlikely adversary in a hot air balloon.
Barkhad Abdi, Erin Moriarty, Abel Jafri, Gérard Jugnot, Ben Miller,...
- 5/24/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Sony Pictures International Productions, the local language production arm of Sony Pictures, has boarded French-Indian-Belgian co-production The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir starring Bérénice Béjo, Barkhad Abdi, Erin Moriarty and Abel Jafri. Sony Pictures Releasing International will release the title in the UK and France in Spring 2018. Gérard Jugnot (The Chorus), Ben Miller (Johnny English), Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse (Bon Cop Bad Cop) and Stefano Cassetti (Young & Beau…...
- 7/18/2017
- Deadline
Reviewed in today's Berlinale Diary: Heiner Carow's The Journey to Sundevit; Ted Fendt's Short Stay with Meaghan Lydon, Marta Sicinksa and Mike Maccherone; André Téchiné's Being 17, co-written with Céline Sciamma and starring Sandrine Kiberlain, Kacey Mottet Klein, Corentin Fila and Alexis Loret; Ivo M. Ferreira's Letters from War with Miguel Nunes, Margarida Vila-Nova, Ricardo Pereira, João Pedro Vaz and João Pedro Mamede; Philip Scheffner's Havarie; Anne Zohra Berrached's 24 Weeks with Julia Jentsch, Bjarne Mädel, Johanna Gastdorf, Emilia Pieske and Maria Dragus; and Rachid Bouchareb's Road to Istanbul with Astrid Whettnall, Pauline Burlet, Patricia Ide and Abel Jafri. » - David Hudson...
- 2/15/2016
- Keyframe
Reviewed in today's Berlinale Diary: Heiner Carow's The Journey to Sundevit; Ted Fendt's Short Stay with Meaghan Lydon, Marta Sicinksa and Mike Maccherone; André Téchiné's Being 17, co-written with Céline Sciamma and starring Sandrine Kiberlain, Kacey Mottet Klein, Corentin Fila and Alexis Loret; Ivo M. Ferreira's Letters from War with Miguel Nunes, Margarida Vila-Nova, Ricardo Pereira, João Pedro Vaz and João Pedro Mamede; Philip Scheffner's Havarie; Anne Zohra Berrached's 24 Weeks with Julia Jentsch, Bjarne Mädel, Johanna Gastdorf, Emilia Pieske and Maria Dragus; and Rachid Bouchareb's Road to Istanbul with Astrid Whettnall, Pauline Burlet, Patricia Ide and Abel Jafri. » - David Hudson...
- 2/15/2016
- Fandor: Keyframe
As we catch up with news of projects in the works, we note that Woody Allen has cast Elaine May and Miley Cyrus in his upcoming series for Amazon. Plus: Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal are taking on the 1967 Detroit riots. Jaume Collet-Serra and Liam Neeson are re-teaming for The Commuter. Park Chan-wook will adapt Project Itoh's 2007 science fiction novel Genocidal Organ. Jared Harris will join Brad Pitt in Robert Zemeckis's untitled spy thriller. Harrison Ford and Anthony Hopkins are attached to star opposite Natalie Dormer, Paul Bettany and Martin Freeman in Official Secrets. Uma Thurman, Barkhad Abdi and Laurent Lafitte have joined Indian star Dhanush, Gemma Arterton, Abel Jafri and Seema Biswas in the cast of Marjane Satrapi’s The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir. And we've got much more. » - David Hudson...
- 2/1/2016
- Keyframe
As we catch up with news of projects in the works, we note that Woody Allen has cast Elaine May and Miley Cyrus in his upcoming series for Amazon. Plus: Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal are taking on the 1967 Detroit riots. Jaume Collet-Serra and Liam Neeson are re-teaming for The Commuter. Park Chan-wook will adapt Project Itoh's 2007 science fiction novel Genocidal Organ. Jared Harris will join Brad Pitt in Robert Zemeckis's untitled spy thriller. Harrison Ford and Anthony Hopkins are attached to star opposite Natalie Dormer, Paul Bettany and Martin Freeman in Official Secrets. Uma Thurman, Barkhad Abdi and Laurent Lafitte have joined Indian star Dhanush, Gemma Arterton, Abel Jafri and Seema Biswas in the cast of Marjane Satrapi’s The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir. And we've got much more. » - David Hudson...
- 2/1/2016
- Fandor: Keyframe
It was inevitable that Hollywood would remake Jacques Audiard’s stylish gangster classic A Prophet, but at least there’s considerable talent gathering behind the scenes. It’s been reported that famed crime novelist and The Drop scribe Dennis Lehane will pen the script, while Sam Raimi has eyed the director’s chair. Raimi’s late filmography has been spotty, but his last foray into crime, A Simple Plan, fit like a glove. Audiard’s original film follows a man in prison who’s taken under the tutelage of a crime boss. [Deadline]
After co-writing credits on Noah Baumbach efforts Frances Ha and Mistress America, Greta Gerwig is finally stepping behind the camera herself. Gerwig will direct fellow “it girl” and Best Actress nominee Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird. The film will follow a high school senior spending her last year at home in Sacramento. [Deadline]
Darius Marder isn’t a well-known name,...
After co-writing credits on Noah Baumbach efforts Frances Ha and Mistress America, Greta Gerwig is finally stepping behind the camera herself. Gerwig will direct fellow “it girl” and Best Actress nominee Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird. The film will follow a high school senior spending her last year at home in Sacramento. [Deadline]
Darius Marder isn’t a well-known name,...
- 1/25/2016
- by Michael Snydel
- The Film Stage
Films include Shepherds and Butchers with Steve Coogan; Don’t Call Me Son from Anna Muylaert; and a documentary about a director and actress who were kidnapped by Kim Jong-il.
The Berlinale (Feb 11-21) has completed the selection for this year’s Panorama strand, comprising 51 films from 33 countries. A total of 34 fiction features comprise the main programme and Panorama Special while a further 17 titles will screen in Panorama Dokumente.
A total of 33 films are world premieres, nine are international premieres and nine European premieres. The 30th Teddy Award is also being celebrated with an anniversary series of 17 films.
Notable titles include Shepherds and Butchers from South Africa, which is set toward the end of Apartheid and stars Steve Coogan as a hotshot lawyer who faces his biggest test when he agrees to defend a white prison guard who has killed seven black men. What ensues is a charge against the death penalty itself, in a case...
The Berlinale (Feb 11-21) has completed the selection for this year’s Panorama strand, comprising 51 films from 33 countries. A total of 34 fiction features comprise the main programme and Panorama Special while a further 17 titles will screen in Panorama Dokumente.
A total of 33 films are world premieres, nine are international premieres and nine European premieres. The 30th Teddy Award is also being celebrated with an anniversary series of 17 films.
Notable titles include Shepherds and Butchers from South Africa, which is set toward the end of Apartheid and stars Steve Coogan as a hotshot lawyer who faces his biggest test when he agrees to defend a white prison guard who has killed seven black men. What ensues is a charge against the death penalty itself, in a case...
- 1/21/2016
- by [email protected] (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Films include Shepherds and Butchers, starring Steve Coogan; Don’t Call Me Son from Anna Muylaert; and a documentary about a director and actress who were kidnapped by Kim Jong-il and forced to make films.
The Berlinale (Feb 11-21) has completed the selection for this year’s Panorama strand, comprising 51 films from 33 countries. A total of 34 fiction features comprise the main programme and Panorama Special while a further 17 titles will screen in Panorama Dokumente.
A total of 33 films are world premieres, nine are international premieres and nine European premieres. The 30th Teddy Award is also being celebrated with an anniversary series of 17 films.
Notable titles include Shepherds and Butchers from South Africa, which is set toward the end of Apartheid and stars Steve Coogan as a hotshot lawyer faces his biggest test when he agrees to defend a white prison guard who has killed seven black men. What ensues is a charge against the death penalty itself...
The Berlinale (Feb 11-21) has completed the selection for this year’s Panorama strand, comprising 51 films from 33 countries. A total of 34 fiction features comprise the main programme and Panorama Special while a further 17 titles will screen in Panorama Dokumente.
A total of 33 films are world premieres, nine are international premieres and nine European premieres. The 30th Teddy Award is also being celebrated with an anniversary series of 17 films.
Notable titles include Shepherds and Butchers from South Africa, which is set toward the end of Apartheid and stars Steve Coogan as a hotshot lawyer faces his biggest test when he agrees to defend a white prison guard who has killed seven black men. What ensues is a charge against the death penalty itself...
- 1/21/2016
- by [email protected] (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
With Timbuktu, director and co-writer Abderrahmane Sissako has created a film to test our understanding of what words such as "terrorist", "jihadist" and "Islamic extremists" mean as much as what they don't mean, offering a glimpse into a world I could never say I understand or even comprehend. Sissako's level of empathy for his characters is what gives the film its weight, opening your eyes as you just might find your morals tested in ways you couldn't have expected. Set during the takeover of the titular Malian city by self-described jihadists in 2012, the film is both horrifying and beautiful, managing to even merge dread with small doses of humor as a group of young people play soccer in a dusty field, but must halt their game so a donkey can pass through. The dread in this instance is far more lasting, coming from the fact they are playing without a ball.
- 2/20/2015
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Tyrants wish to silence the sounds of joy with fear. They seek to impose their depraved vision of the world on other by means of brute force. Often the only result is senseless violence and the absence of reason. This is the reality experienced in many places around the world where extremism reigns and tolerance has evaporated. Today, perhaps more than ever, a film like Abderrahmane Sissako’s spellbinding “Timbuktu” is imperative. Capturing some of the most beautiful African landscapes ever seen on film and delicately arranging his stories to create a tapestry of human experiences, Sissako’s latest doesn’t abide by any political or religious dogma. Instead, his vision preaches openness and denounces the terrifying absurdity of the world according to extremist.
We had a chance to talk to the revered African director during the most recent New York Film Festival about the city that inspired it all, the images that struck him, and the version of Islam he wanted to depict.
"Timbuktu" is currently playing in theaters (distributed b Cohen Media Group) and it's nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Carlos Aguilar: Why was this devastating image of woman being stoned so important to you and your film?
Abderrahmane Sissako: For me, to think about two people whose only crime was to have two children together going through this is really an incredible thing. It’s a man and a woman. They are a symbolic. How can they be capable killing two people simply for having given birth to children?
Aguilar: What makes this city, Timbuktu, so particular? Why did you decide to set the film there rather than in your native Mauritania?
Abderrahmane Sissako: The film was shot in Mauritania, but the story takes place in Timbuktu, Mali. I chose Timbuktu because it’s a symbol. I’m sure you’ve heard the name Timbuktu, you’ll probably never go there, but you know it exists. You have an idea of what it is. I think what was important for me was that this was a city that had been taken hostage. It was important for me to tell the story about what’s happening there. It was taken hostage precisely because it’s a symbolic city. It’s a city where Islam is the dominant faith, but it’s a very open faith, it’s not dogmatic in any way. Timbuktu is a city where people have discussions, conversations. It’s a very open city. Also, it’s because of this very openness that they were taken hostage by these extremists.
Aguilar: The jihadists want to homogenize Islam as a bloodthirsty religion where there is no room for diversity or conflicting opinions. But your film shows a mosaic of what Islam is, those who want peace and does who seek violence.
Abderrahmane Sissako: One of the things I wanted to show in making this film is that the first victim of the jihadists is Islam itself. Islam never tells people to go out and kill other people. However, this is something that has happened in history and with all religions, every religion has had people going out and killing in the name of it. But that’s not what religion is. I also wanted to show this other face of Islam, the kind of Islam that was practice there, which was very open and very tolerant. Having been brought up in it myself I think that my own tolerance and my own openness is due to that. What the imam in the film says, that’s my vision of what Islam is.
Aguilar: Do you think that by prohibiting all forms of entertainment or enjoyment they want to vanish any individuality or to induce a state of perpetual fear?
Abderrahmane Sissako: I wanted to show exactly what you are saying, that they do everything under their image of what Islam is. In their way of thinking everything is forbidden, is haram. Music is not allowed, soccer is not allowed, cinema is no allowed, and television is also not allowed. Everything is haram. According to them, the only thing you are supposed to do is to go listen to the preachers preach. None of this is part of what Islam is, and it’s really taken to the point of absurdity. Here is a place where they’ll say, “You stole something, we’ll cut off your hand,” and they don’t just threaten to do that. They actually do it.
Aguilar: Music seems to be a very important element in your characters’ lives. It’s almost used as a way to rebel against the absurd tyrannical rule of these extremists.
Abderrahmane Sissako: Music is one of the most beautiful things in the world. It’s universal. Some of the music that nourished me were songs that people would sing in English, and I had no idea what they would sing about. But they were important for me because I felt them. Music is human vibration. It makes humans vibrate and takes them someplace else. Somebody who prohibits that definitely has a problem. Somebody who looks at a woman and says, “She needs to be completely covered, you can’t even look at her eyes,” is somebody that has a problem. They want women to be covered; yet they ask men to roll their pants up so that they are exposed. Is as if they are trying to discover themselves by covering up the women.
Aguilar: The jihadists, the villains, have doubts about their “mission” and they also other common interests. Was it important for you to humanize them? Are they victims of the circumstances as well?
Abderrahmane Sissako: They are not 100% sure of that they are doing because they are human. They all had a life before, and whatever it is that brought them to this point and to become part of this group, might be very different from what compels other people to join. Humanizing them doesn’t mean accepting what they are doing. It’s not a question of “Do I humanize them or not.” They are human beings already. They are interested in soccer, and are interested in different soccer teams like Barcelona as well as other things. When they talk about these things they revert back to being whom they really are. Maybe that is not how it actually is, maybe that’s my invention, but I think this is a way of showing they still have a certain human quality within them.
Aguilar: With everything that is happening around the world regarding Islamist extremism, do you think your film is more important now than ever?
Abderrahmane Sissako: All I can say is that it’s true that because of the events happening right now many more people will take notice of the film.
Aguilar: Was you cast conformed of mostly non-professional actors, or did you use people with different levels of experience? Is there a difference in the way you work with each type of cast member?
Abderrahmane Sissako: They were several professional actors in the cast. The fish seller, she is young, but she is a professional actress. Abel Jafri, the jihadist who is after the married woman, he is an actor. He lives in Paris. The jihadist who dances, he is also an actor. For the most part the rest of the cast were not professional actors, but they were people who were really into what I was doing. They wanted to become part of the adventure the film was. For me, when you direct actors, a large part of it is coming to an agreement with them, reaching a mutual understanding. It’s something that’s based on trust. The chief jihadist who does the interrogation, he is a professional actor from Mauritania, but he rarely has an opportunity to act in films because they aren’t any. The last time he was able to act in a film was in 2001, and that was in another one of my films.
Aguilar: Another interesting aspect in the film is the use of technology. Cell phone and cameras are used as tools by the extremists to promote their war.
Abderrahmane Sissako: Of course, technology is very important now. It’s there, its available. It’s there to be use however you see fit. You can use it and the jihadist can use it. In their case they have been very effective at making use of technology, particularly with websites. It’s primarily through these websites that they do their recruiting. But it’s not technology that makes them that way.
Aguilar: Even in the midst of all the terrible things happening to the characters, your film captures a side of Africa’s beauty we rarely get to see.
Abderrahmane Sissako: The beauty is there. I just filmed it. Whether I’m filming it or not the beauty is always there.
Aguilar: The scene in which a group of kids play “imaginary soccer,” without a ball, is particularly powerful. What was your intention?
Abderrahmane Sissako: First of all, it was there to show how absurd the prohibition of playing soccer was. I wanted to show that these people could never win by prohibiting things like these. I think that people don’t necessary fight with or aren’t necessarily beaten by weapons, but it’ through their minds and what they think they can do.
Aguilar: With the international success that “Timbuktu” has had, would you ever consider making a film outside of Africa?
Abderrahmane Sissako: Being an African filmmaker, Africa is what’s important for me. If I were to shot a film in France or elsewhere it would only be because the story that was being told was something that concerned me, and that really called me or needed to be shown on the screen. But France has hundreds and hundreds of filmmakers. Therefore, doing it for the sake of making a film is not what I’m interested in. I’m the only Mauritanian filmmaker so it wouldn’t make sense to make a film in France. I could shoot outside of my own country if the story was something that called for it. Africa really has to be the reason for me to make a new film.
Aguilar: Are you surprised at how the film has reached people from across the globe?
Abderrahmane Sissako: Everything I did in the film I did with a specific purpose, but I didn’t have the certainly that what I was doing was going to reach people or to affect them. The fact that it has is really a plus for me.
Aguilar: Are excited to know that your film is the first one ever to represent Mauritania at the Academy Awards?
Abderrahmane Sissako: I’m thrilled and hope we at least make it to the shortlist because I have the entire country, without exception, behind me. Actually, not only an entire country, an entire continent.
We had a chance to talk to the revered African director during the most recent New York Film Festival about the city that inspired it all, the images that struck him, and the version of Islam he wanted to depict.
"Timbuktu" is currently playing in theaters (distributed b Cohen Media Group) and it's nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Carlos Aguilar: Why was this devastating image of woman being stoned so important to you and your film?
Abderrahmane Sissako: For me, to think about two people whose only crime was to have two children together going through this is really an incredible thing. It’s a man and a woman. They are a symbolic. How can they be capable killing two people simply for having given birth to children?
Aguilar: What makes this city, Timbuktu, so particular? Why did you decide to set the film there rather than in your native Mauritania?
Abderrahmane Sissako: The film was shot in Mauritania, but the story takes place in Timbuktu, Mali. I chose Timbuktu because it’s a symbol. I’m sure you’ve heard the name Timbuktu, you’ll probably never go there, but you know it exists. You have an idea of what it is. I think what was important for me was that this was a city that had been taken hostage. It was important for me to tell the story about what’s happening there. It was taken hostage precisely because it’s a symbolic city. It’s a city where Islam is the dominant faith, but it’s a very open faith, it’s not dogmatic in any way. Timbuktu is a city where people have discussions, conversations. It’s a very open city. Also, it’s because of this very openness that they were taken hostage by these extremists.
Aguilar: The jihadists want to homogenize Islam as a bloodthirsty religion where there is no room for diversity or conflicting opinions. But your film shows a mosaic of what Islam is, those who want peace and does who seek violence.
Abderrahmane Sissako: One of the things I wanted to show in making this film is that the first victim of the jihadists is Islam itself. Islam never tells people to go out and kill other people. However, this is something that has happened in history and with all religions, every religion has had people going out and killing in the name of it. But that’s not what religion is. I also wanted to show this other face of Islam, the kind of Islam that was practice there, which was very open and very tolerant. Having been brought up in it myself I think that my own tolerance and my own openness is due to that. What the imam in the film says, that’s my vision of what Islam is.
Aguilar: Do you think that by prohibiting all forms of entertainment or enjoyment they want to vanish any individuality or to induce a state of perpetual fear?
Abderrahmane Sissako: I wanted to show exactly what you are saying, that they do everything under their image of what Islam is. In their way of thinking everything is forbidden, is haram. Music is not allowed, soccer is not allowed, cinema is no allowed, and television is also not allowed. Everything is haram. According to them, the only thing you are supposed to do is to go listen to the preachers preach. None of this is part of what Islam is, and it’s really taken to the point of absurdity. Here is a place where they’ll say, “You stole something, we’ll cut off your hand,” and they don’t just threaten to do that. They actually do it.
Aguilar: Music seems to be a very important element in your characters’ lives. It’s almost used as a way to rebel against the absurd tyrannical rule of these extremists.
Abderrahmane Sissako: Music is one of the most beautiful things in the world. It’s universal. Some of the music that nourished me were songs that people would sing in English, and I had no idea what they would sing about. But they were important for me because I felt them. Music is human vibration. It makes humans vibrate and takes them someplace else. Somebody who prohibits that definitely has a problem. Somebody who looks at a woman and says, “She needs to be completely covered, you can’t even look at her eyes,” is somebody that has a problem. They want women to be covered; yet they ask men to roll their pants up so that they are exposed. Is as if they are trying to discover themselves by covering up the women.
Aguilar: The jihadists, the villains, have doubts about their “mission” and they also other common interests. Was it important for you to humanize them? Are they victims of the circumstances as well?
Abderrahmane Sissako: They are not 100% sure of that they are doing because they are human. They all had a life before, and whatever it is that brought them to this point and to become part of this group, might be very different from what compels other people to join. Humanizing them doesn’t mean accepting what they are doing. It’s not a question of “Do I humanize them or not.” They are human beings already. They are interested in soccer, and are interested in different soccer teams like Barcelona as well as other things. When they talk about these things they revert back to being whom they really are. Maybe that is not how it actually is, maybe that’s my invention, but I think this is a way of showing they still have a certain human quality within them.
Aguilar: With everything that is happening around the world regarding Islamist extremism, do you think your film is more important now than ever?
Abderrahmane Sissako: All I can say is that it’s true that because of the events happening right now many more people will take notice of the film.
Aguilar: Was you cast conformed of mostly non-professional actors, or did you use people with different levels of experience? Is there a difference in the way you work with each type of cast member?
Abderrahmane Sissako: They were several professional actors in the cast. The fish seller, she is young, but she is a professional actress. Abel Jafri, the jihadist who is after the married woman, he is an actor. He lives in Paris. The jihadist who dances, he is also an actor. For the most part the rest of the cast were not professional actors, but they were people who were really into what I was doing. They wanted to become part of the adventure the film was. For me, when you direct actors, a large part of it is coming to an agreement with them, reaching a mutual understanding. It’s something that’s based on trust. The chief jihadist who does the interrogation, he is a professional actor from Mauritania, but he rarely has an opportunity to act in films because they aren’t any. The last time he was able to act in a film was in 2001, and that was in another one of my films.
Aguilar: Another interesting aspect in the film is the use of technology. Cell phone and cameras are used as tools by the extremists to promote their war.
Abderrahmane Sissako: Of course, technology is very important now. It’s there, its available. It’s there to be use however you see fit. You can use it and the jihadist can use it. In their case they have been very effective at making use of technology, particularly with websites. It’s primarily through these websites that they do their recruiting. But it’s not technology that makes them that way.
Aguilar: Even in the midst of all the terrible things happening to the characters, your film captures a side of Africa’s beauty we rarely get to see.
Abderrahmane Sissako: The beauty is there. I just filmed it. Whether I’m filming it or not the beauty is always there.
Aguilar: The scene in which a group of kids play “imaginary soccer,” without a ball, is particularly powerful. What was your intention?
Abderrahmane Sissako: First of all, it was there to show how absurd the prohibition of playing soccer was. I wanted to show that these people could never win by prohibiting things like these. I think that people don’t necessary fight with or aren’t necessarily beaten by weapons, but it’ through their minds and what they think they can do.
Aguilar: With the international success that “Timbuktu” has had, would you ever consider making a film outside of Africa?
Abderrahmane Sissako: Being an African filmmaker, Africa is what’s important for me. If I were to shot a film in France or elsewhere it would only be because the story that was being told was something that concerned me, and that really called me or needed to be shown on the screen. But France has hundreds and hundreds of filmmakers. Therefore, doing it for the sake of making a film is not what I’m interested in. I’m the only Mauritanian filmmaker so it wouldn’t make sense to make a film in France. I could shoot outside of my own country if the story was something that called for it. Africa really has to be the reason for me to make a new film.
Aguilar: Are you surprised at how the film has reached people from across the globe?
Abderrahmane Sissako: Everything I did in the film I did with a specific purpose, but I didn’t have the certainly that what I was doing was going to reach people or to affect them. The fact that it has is really a plus for me.
Aguilar: Are excited to know that your film is the first one ever to represent Mauritania at the Academy Awards?
Abderrahmane Sissako: I’m thrilled and hope we at least make it to the shortlist because I have the entire country, without exception, behind me. Actually, not only an entire country, an entire continent.
- 2/20/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has unveiled its 2015 line-up which includes films representing 54 countries, 23 world premieres and 53 U.S. premieres. The U.S. premiere of Niki Caro’s McFarland USA will close out the 30th fest. Based on the 1987 true story and starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello, the film follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. The unlikely band of runners overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well.
The festival runs from January 27-February 7.
Below is the list of World and U.S. Premiere films followed by the list of titles by sidebar categories.
World Premieres
A Better You, USA
Directed by Matt Walsh
Cast: Brian Huskey,...
The festival runs from January 27-February 7.
Below is the list of World and U.S. Premiere films followed by the list of titles by sidebar categories.
World Premieres
A Better You, USA
Directed by Matt Walsh
Cast: Brian Huskey,...
- 1/8/2015
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline
A self-acknowledged "showcase for Academy Award frontrunners," the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is often overlooked for the actual films that earn it festival status. An amalgamation of international discoveries and ’merica’s circuit highlights, the Sbiff curates a week of best-of-the-best to pair with their star-praising. The 2015 edition offers another expansive selection, bookended by two films that aren’t on any radars just yet. Sbiff will open with "Desert Dancer," producer Richard Raymond’s directorial debut. Starring Reece Ritchie and Frieda Pinto, the drama follows a group of friends who wave off the harsh political climate of Iran’s 2009 presidential election in favor of forming a dance team, picking up moves from Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev thanks to the magic of YouTube. The festival will close with "McFarland, USA," starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello. Telling the 1987 true story of a Latino high school’s underdog cross-country team,...
- 1/8/2015
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
The Masters section is always a Croisette and Lido heavy selection and this year is no different. From Cannes we have Jean-Luc Godard’s Goodbye to Language 3D (which is a top of the charts item according to our Blake Williams) Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan (which our Nicholas Bell thinks is near perfection and calls “cinematic sublimity with this multilayered and operatic exploration of the crushing corruption of an unchecked regime” and Abderrahmane Sissakos’ Timbuktu. On tap directly from Venice we might have the retirement films from Roy Andersson (A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence) and Ann Hui (The Golden Era), with some South Korean representation from Hong Sang-soo in Hill of Freedom and Revivre from Im Kwon-taek, but the worthy mentions are the nabbed world premiere status items from the always fascinating, taste dispenser and wide-ranging filmography in Michael Winterbottom & the always wry and humorous latest...
- 7/29/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
The opening film in competition, Timbuktu is a tough act to follow. Set in the eponymous remote and striking city, director Abderrahamane Sissako’s film focuses on the jihad and extreme Islam’s corrosive influence in this beautiful place.
Kidane (Ibrahim Ahmed, Aka Pino) and his wife Satima (Toulou Kiki) live with their children in a tent outside of town. Their nomadic existence is something out of a fairytale: they are beautiful, happy and seemingly beyond the madness of extremism that is engulfing the town. Yet this idyllic existence cannot last, for nobody can remain untouched. Local jihad leader Abdelkrim (Abel Jafri) has a soft spot for Satima and always happens to visit when hubby’s not home. Then their son gets into trouble taking the cattle, his beloved cow – the brilliantly named Gps – killed for getting entangled in a local fisherman’s nets. So begins this family’s fall...
Kidane (Ibrahim Ahmed, Aka Pino) and his wife Satima (Toulou Kiki) live with their children in a tent outside of town. Their nomadic existence is something out of a fairytale: they are beautiful, happy and seemingly beyond the madness of extremism that is engulfing the town. Yet this idyllic existence cannot last, for nobody can remain untouched. Local jihad leader Abdelkrim (Abel Jafri) has a soft spot for Satima and always happens to visit when hubby’s not home. Then their son gets into trouble taking the cattle, his beloved cow – the brilliantly named Gps – killed for getting entangled in a local fisherman’s nets. So begins this family’s fall...
- 5/24/2014
- by Jo-Ann Titmarsh
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Welcome back to Cannes Check, In Contention's annual preview of the films in Competition at this year's Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off on May 14. Taking on different selections every day, we'll be examining what they're about, who's involved and what their chances are of snagging an award from Jane Campion's jury. Next up, the Competition's only African entry: Abderrahmane Sissako's "Timbuktu." The director: Abderrahmane Sissako (Mauritanian/French, 52 years old). Another of this year's five newcomers, Sissako has established himself as one of Africa's premier auteurs, though he's been based in France since the early 1990s -- a background that complements his favored themes of globalization and outsider identity. Born in Mauritania, he moved with his family at an early age to Mali, where he completed his schooling, before studying film at Russia's Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography in Moscow -- an institution that also boasts Aleksandr Sokurov and Andrei Tarkovsky among its alumni.
- 5/12/2014
- by Guy Lodge
- Hitfix
Ridley Scott's Robin Hood showed in Cannes this past May, and one year later we might get a Hood-like eighteenth century hero in Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche’s fourth feature. Taking a page from Abdellatif Kechiche, Cineuropa reports that Ameur-Zaïmeche (director has seen his previous two films Bled Number One and Dernier Maquis shown on the Croisette) will once again go in front and behind the camera in Les Chants de Mandrin - a French/Belgian/Spanish co-production that started shooting this week. The cast includes Sylvain Roume, Abel Jafri, Sylvain Rifflet, Salim Ameur-Zaïmeche, Christian Milia-Darmezin, Kenji Meunier, Jean-Luc Nancy and Jacques Nolot. Les Chants de Mandrin opens with the execution of famous outlaw Louis Mandrin, a popular hero of the mid-eighteenth century, this sees the historical figure and his companions set out on a new, risky smuggling campaign in the French provinces. Protected by their weapons, the smugglers organise illegal...
- 10/5/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
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